murmurOu-no-ji Fire Festival
Usuki City · Mt. Tateishi, Mochizuki, Usuki
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Usuki Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sep 11–13, 2026 （Ended） 20:00 to about 20:10
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid September
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Three days from the first day of the eighth lunar month
- Venue
- Mt. Tateishi, Mochizuki, Usuki
- City
- Usuki City, Oita
About
In the Mochizuki district of Usuki, a fire rite runs for three nights from the first day of the eighth lunar month. On the slope of Mt. Tateishi, 51 pits, each 1.5 metres square, are dug in the shape of the kanji 王 ('king'), filled with wheat straw and lit all at once, so a giant character blazes on the dark hillside. For local people it is an essential sign that autumn has come. Lighting begins around 8 pm and the fire burns for only about ten minutes, so arrive early. The rite prays for protection from fire and has continued for nearly 300 years. As it follows the lunar calendar, the dates change each year.
Sources
- OfficialUsuki Tourism Association www.usuki-kanko.com
- OfficialTourism Oita www.visit-oita.jp
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.