murmurKawado Suijin Festival (River Water God Festival)
Gotsu City · Gonokawa River at Kawado, Sakurae, Gotsu
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Shimane Tourism Association · 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 early May
- How the date is set
- Every year on May 5
- Venue
- Gonokawa River at Kawado, Sakurae, Gotsu
- City
- Gotsu City, Shimane
About
On May 5, the people of Kawado in Sakurae, Gotsu, honor the water god by taking a line of river boats out on the Gonokawa. A boat bearing a portable shrine leads the way, and the others follow it to a large rock where the water god is enshrined; the ceremony is held there. Watching the boats move in file across the river is the highlight of this old riverside custom. It is believed to stem from local tales of the enko, a kappa-like river creature, and has gone on for over 500 years.
Sources
- OfficialShimane Tourism Association www.kankou-shimane.com
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.