murmurGongon Festival and Bell-Ringing Contest at Jonichiji Temple
Himi City · Jonichiji Temple
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Himi City Tourism Association (Kitokito Himi) · Last checked: Oct 10, 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 17 – April 18 From the evening of the 17th through the 18th; the bell-ringing contest starts around 18:00 on the 18th
- Venue
- Jonichiji Temple
- City
- Himi City, Toyama
About
Jonichiji Temple (Asahi Kannon) in Himi holds this festival every April 17 to 18, and its name echoes the boom of the temple bell. According to tradition, a terrible drought struck in the early Edo period, and when a rain-making rite finally brought rain, the delighted farmers rang Jonichiji's bell in celebration. From then on, during services of gratitude and protection from misfortune, strong young people have pounded the hanging bell again and again with a long log of fresh pine. The festival ends with the Gongon Bell-Ringing Contest, in which participants hoist the pine log and see how many times they can strike the bell in one minute. There are general, women's and children's divisions, and plenty of competitors travel in from outside Toyama.
Sources
- OfficialHimi City Tourism Association (Kitokito Himi) www.kitokitohimi.com
- OfficialToyama Tourism Organization (Toyama Kanko Navi) www.info-toyama.com
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.