murmurNakatsu Gion Festival
Nakatsu City · Kuranashihama Shrine (Shimo Gion), Nakatsu Shrine (Kami Gion) and the old castle town
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Tourism Oita (Oita Prefecture official tourism site) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Jul 24–26, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late July
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held over three days in July; dates are set each year
- Venue
- Kuranashihama Shrine (Shimo Gion), Nakatsu Shrine (Kami Gion) and the old castle town
- City
- Nakatsu City, Oita
About
For three days every July, the castle town of Nakatsu holds this festival to drive off epidemics and pray for good health. The Shimo Gion and Kami Gion groups together send out thirteen gleaming lacquered floats called gion-guruma and two portable shrines, and a line of floats rolling through town is the very image of summer in Nakatsu. At crossroads marked with sacred ropes, folk dances are offered on the float stages; dancers and children performing atop floats like this is a custom found in only a few places in Japan. The festival is said to have a 600-year tradition and is an intangible folk cultural property of Oita Prefecture.
Sources
- OfficialTourism Oita (Oita Prefecture official tourism site) www.visit-oita.jp
- OfficialNakatsu Gion Preservation Council nakatsu-gion.com
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.