murmurUsuki Takeyoi (Bamboo Lantern Festival)
Usuki City · Around Ninoza and Hatcho-oji, central Usuki
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Usuki Takeyoi Executive Committee · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Nov 7–8, 2026
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early November
- How the date is set
- Announced each year
- Venue
- Around Ninoza and Hatcho-oji, central Usuki
- City
- Usuki City, Oita
About
In autumn, the historic streets of Usuki around Ninoza glow with bamboo lanterns and light installations. The Princess Hannya procession moves through town as if stepped out of a picture scroll, and other events around the city make it a good night to stroll the old castle town. The event is based on the legend of Mano no Choja, the rich man said to have created the Usuki stone Buddhas. His only daughter, Princess Hannya, died in a storm on her way to the capital. When a painted box with her portrait came back to Usuki, villagers lit bamboo lights along the night road, and Takeyoi recreates the return of her spirit. 2026 brings its 30th edition.
Sources
- OfficialUsuki Takeyoi Executive Committee www.takeyoi.com
- OfficialTourism Oita (official Oita Prefecture tourism site) 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.