murmurHaifuri Matsuri (Ash-Sprinkling Festival) at Minato Ekijingu
Karatsu City · Minato Yasaka Shrine (Minato Ekijingu)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Saga Prefecture Tourism Federation (Asobo Saga) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Wed, Feb 11, 2026 （Ended） 7:00–19:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid February
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year
- Venue
- Minato Yasaka Shrine (Minato Ekijingu)
- City
- Karatsu City, Saga
About
Locally called the Haifuri Matsuri, this is the misfortune-warding festival of Minato Yasaka Shrine (Minato Ekijingu) in Karatsu. Men in their unlucky year fill bamboo baskets with ash and shower it over the crowd, a custom said to be connected with a legend of Empress Jingu. A dusting of ash is believed to keep illness away for the year, so plenty of people turn up each year hoping to be covered. It is an unpretentious, homegrown ritual. Visiting and parking are free. By bus, ride a Yobuko- or Hado-misaki-bound service from Otemachi Bus Center or Nishi-Karatsu Station to the Minato stop, then walk about 6 minutes.
Sources
- OfficialSaga Prefecture Tourism Federation (Asobo Saga) www.asobo-saga.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.