murmurHanatsumi Festival at Otori Taisha
Sakai City · Otori Taisha Shrine and Otori Hondori shopping street, Otori-kitamachi, Nishi Ward, Sakai
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Otori Taisha Shrine · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Apr 18, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid April
- How the date is set
- The 3rd Saturday of April Third Saturday of April every year; cancelled in case of rain
- Venue
- Otori Taisha Shrine and Otori Hondori shopping street, Otori-kitamachi, Nishi Ward, Sakai
- City
- Sakai City, Osaka
About
On the third Saturday of April, Otori Taisha holds the Hanatsumi, or flower-picking, Festival. Flower maidens and children in classical costume walk in procession from Otori-minamimachi along the Otori Hondori shopping street to the shrine, bringing color to the flower season. Freshly picked flowers are offered to the deities to soothe the spirits of the blossoms and drive away disease and disaster. It is said to have begun in the Heian period, when epidemics spreading as the cherry blossoms fell were feared as bringers of misfortune. The children's procession gives thanks for their growth and asks for their good health. It is cancelled in rain.
Sources
- OfficialOtori Taisha Shrine www.ootoritaisha.jp
- OfficialOtori Taisha Shrine www.ootoritaisha.jp
- OfficialSakai Tourism & Convention Bureau www.sakai-tcb.or.jp
- Reference大鳥大社｜大阪観光局 osaka-info.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 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.