murmurTakebe Taisha Senkosai Boat Festival
Otsu City · Takebe Taisha Shrine and around the Seta no Karahashi Bridge
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Takebe Taisha Shrine · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Mon, Aug 17, 2026 （Ended） 16:50–21:30 (fireworks from 20:00)
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid August
- How the date is set
- Every year on August 17 Held in light rain; not postponed
- Venue
- Takebe Taisha Shrine and around the Seta no Karahashi Bridge
- City
- Otsu City, Shiga
About
On a summer evening, the portable shrine of Takebe Taisha sails on the Seta River aboard a ceremonial boat. It leaves the shrine, boards at Seta-hama, and after rites at the resting place at Kurotsu-hama comes back to Seta-hama between bonfires burning on both banks. As the flotilla draws near the Seta no Karahashi Bridge, fireworks go up in step with the movements of the great portable shrine, the high point of the night. Lights rippling on the water are a summer fixture in Otsu and a hint that the season is ending. The rite recalls Prince Yamato Takeru leading a fleet across the sea to the eastern lands, with the river playing the part of the sea. Takebe Taisha is the foremost shrine of old Omi Province, and this is one of Otsu's three great festivals. Roads close during the procession and there is no parking, so come by public transport.
Sources
- OfficialTakebe Taisha Shrine takebetaisha.jp
- OfficialBiwako Visitors Bureau (Shiga Tourism Information) www.biwako-visitors.jp
- OfficialBiwako Visitors Bureau (Shiga Tourism Information) www.biwako-visitors.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.