A night when 4 yotaka lanterns light up the town in prayers for a good harvest
Gokaya Yotaka Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year, the 2nd Friday and Saturday of June / Every year
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Tonami City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A rice-planting festival passed down in Tonami City’s Gokaya district, centered on parading yotaka lanterns and lantern clashes.
About Gokaya Yotaka Festival
The Gokaya Yotaka Festival is one of the yotaka festivals held in Gokaya district, Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture.
The 4 neighborhoods of Terashima, Aratakahaya, Kashima, and Kamimura each take charge of a yotaka lantern and parade it through their neighborhood.
It has been passed down by local people as a rice-planting festival praying for a bountiful harvest and other blessings.
Source: 五鹿屋夜高祭 - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
Highlights include the yotaka lanterns parading through town and the lantern clash, in which the lanterns are rammed against one another.
Performances of yotaka drums and yotaka-bushi folk songs take place on the 2nd day, followed by a scheduled lantern clash.
Another distinctive feature of the festival is that each neighborhood takes charge of 1 of the 4 lanterns.
A night when 4 yotaka lanterns light up the town in prayers for a good harvest
What to expect
The festival begins with yotaka lanterns from each district being paraded through the neighborhoods.
On the 2nd day, there are performances of yotaka drums and yotaka-bushi folk songs, so you can enjoy the music and singing in the evening.
This is followed by a lantern clash, bringing the lantern-focused festivities to a close.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Gokaya district, Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture.
Event venue 富山県砺波市 富山県砺波市の五鹿屋地区
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
Every year, the 2nd Friday and Saturday of June
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Toyama Prefecture / Tonami City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
となみ散居村ミュージアム
富山県砺波市にある博物館
チューリップ四季彩館
富山県砺波市にある植物園 · Museums
松村外次郎記念庄川美術館
日本の美術館
砺波市美術館
富山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
砺波郷土資料館
富山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Gokaya Yotaka Festival
The Gokaya Yotaka Festival is considered one of the oldest yotaka festivals held in Tonami City.
Unlike festivals such as the Fukuno Yotaka Festival, which are held as religious rites, this festival is regarded as a rice-planting festival praying for a bountiful harvest and other blessings.
Since 2014, the Kashima district has participated in the lantern clash at the Tonami Yotaka Festival and changed the day of its parade within its own neighborhood.
Official information
For related information, see “Gokaya no Yotaka Matsuri” (“Gokaya Yotaka Festival”), listed in “Tonami Shoso” by the Tonami City Board of Education.
Gokaya Yotaka Festival at a Glance
The Gokaya Yotaka Festival is a rice-planting festival in which 4 neighborhoods in Tonami City’s Gokaya district parade yotaka lanterns.
Performances of yotaka drums and yotaka-bushi folk songs are followed by lantern clashes.
As a local event praying for a bountiful harvest, the festival passes on the tradition of yotaka lanterns.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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