murmurNagahama Hikiyama Festival
Nagahama City · Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine, the otabisho and central Nagahama
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Nagahama Hikiyama Cultural Association (Nagahama Hikiyama Museum) · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates not confirmed
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid April
- How the date is set
- Every year, April 9 – April 17 Every year April 9-17; the main kabuki performances are on April 15
- Venue
- Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine, the otabisho and central Nagahama
- City
- Nagahama City, Shiga
About
Nagahama's float festival is the place to see kodomo kyogen, kabuki acted by children on the stages of hikiyama floats. Events run every year from April 9 to April 17, mostly centered on Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine. On April 13 lots decide the order of performances, and that evening the young actors, in full costume, perform in their own neighborhoods for the first time. On April 14, after more neighborhood performances, the floats are hauled into the shrine grounds, and at night the actors walk through town. April 15 is the main day: a procession of warriors and strongmen and a ceremonial signal open it, then plays are offered on four floats at the shrine and repeated along the approach and at the otabisho, before the lantern-lit floats return home at night. Encore plays follow on April 16, and a closing ceremony ends the festival on April 17.
Sources
- OfficialNagahama Hikiyama Cultural Association (Nagahama Hikiyama Museum) nagahama-hikiyama.or.jp
- OfficialNagahama Hikiyama Cultural Association (Nagahama Hikiyama Museum) nagahama-hikiyama.or.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.