murmurTendo Cherry Blossom Festival Human Shogi
Tendo City · Summit plaza of Mt. Maizuru, Tendo Park (Tendo Civic Cultural Hall in bad weather)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Tendo City · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Apr 11–12, 2026 （Ended） Human shogi match from 12:30 on both days
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid April
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Usually a Saturday and Sunday in mid-April
- Venue
- Summit plaza of Mt. Maizuru, Tendo Park (Tendo Civic Cultural Hall in bad weather)
- City
- Tendo City, Yamagata
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About
Tendo, famous for making shogi pieces, celebrates spring with a game of shogi played by people. Since 1956, armored warriors and kimono-clad attendants have taken the roles of the pieces on a giant board at the summit of Mt. Maizuru, moving square by square at the call of professional shogi players while some 2,000 cherry trees bloom around them. Members of the public can apply in advance to play a piece. After the match, professionals give teaching games and take on many challengers at once. During the wider cherry blossom festival, lanterns light up Mt. Maizuru and the weeping cherries along the Kurazu River, so staying overnight at Tendo Onsen makes for an easy evening stroll under the blossoms.
Sources
- OfficialTendo City www.city.tendo.yamagata.jp
- OfficialYamagata Prefecture official tourism site 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.