murmurTakahata Winter Festival: Dainichi Nyorai Giant Straw Sandal Mikoshi
Takahata Town · Central shopping streets of Takahata and the Yashiro River bank
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Yamagata Prefecture Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Jan 11, 2026 （Ended） Sandal mikoshi sets off at 15:00, torch parade at 18:30, bonfire lit around 19:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid January
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Usually a Sunday in mid-January; the date is announced each year
- Venue
- Central shopping streets of Takahata and the Yashiro River bank
- City
- Takahata Town, Yamagata
About
In the depths of winter, Takahata’s young men, bare despite the cold, shoulder a giant straw sandal through the snowy town center. The sandal, more than 4 meters long and over 300 kilograms, was offered for safe travels to the seated Dainichi Nyorai Buddha that faces the old Niishuku road, and carrying it is a prayer for good health. After dark come a torch parade, snow lanterns and a big bonfire, and local sake and wine are poured in front of the Buddha. It is part of the Takahata Winter Festival, which in early February also lights up peonies in straw shelters in front of JR Takahata Station.
Sources
- OfficialYamagata Prefecture Tourism Association yamagatakanko.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.