A votive yamakasa festival bringing Hakata’s summer to life with lavish decorations and racing floats
Hakata Gion Yamakasa
The 2026 edition of Hakata Gion Yamakasa has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/01 〜 2026/07/15Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year from July 1 to July 15 / Held every year
- Location
- Locations throughout Fukuoka City, across the Hakata area, and at Kushida Shrine, among other places
- Area
- Fukuoka Prefecture・Fukuoka City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 min · flight time only)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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A summer votive festival set in the streets of Hakata, Fukuoka City, featuring lavishly decorated yamakasa floats and imposing kakiyamakasa floats carried through the streets. The 2026 event was announced as scheduled to take place at locations around the city, centered on Kushida Shrine, from July 1 through the 15th.
About Hakata Gion Yamakasa
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Hirho File:Shintenchō Sun Dome view from the north 9 Tenjin 2-chōme Chūō-ku Fukuoka City 20230706.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Hirho File:Hakata Gion Yamakasa 2023 Negawakuba shikai nami shizukanare Fukuoka City Museum 20240111.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Hirho File:Shitenchō Sun Dome view from the south 9 Tenjin 2-chōme Chūō-ku Fukuoka City 20230706.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Hakata Gion Yamakasa is a votive festival for Kushida Shrine, held mainly in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City.
From July 1 through the 15th, events continue, including displays of decorative yamakasa floats, the Oshioi-tori ritual, and processions of kakiyamakasa floats.
The festival is organized by local Hakata neighborhood groups called nagare and has been passed down as an event deeply rooted in community life.
Source: 【2026】博多の夏を駆け抜ける魂の祭り、博多祇園山笠がやってくる！ | 旅の特集 | 【公式】福岡県の観光/旅行情報サイト「クロスロードふくおか」
Festival highlights
A highlight is the striking contrast between the lavishly decorated yamakasa floats and the thrilling sight of them racing through the city.
The Oiyama Narashi on July 12 is a rehearsal along a course of about 4 kilometers, while the Shudan Yamakasa Mise on July 13 is an event in which the floats cross the Naka River and head toward Tenjin.
On the final day, the Oiyama takes off from Kushida Shrine at 4:59 a.m. with the Kushida-iri, then races along a course of about 5 kilometers.
A votive yamakasa festival bringing Hakata’s summer to life with lavish decorations and racing floats
What to expect
The festival begins on July 1 with the display of decorative yamakasa floats and the -removal ceremony. After the Oshioi-tori ritual on the 9th, the mobile kakiyamakasa floats take to the streets from the 10th onward.
Events proceed with Asayamakasa and Tanagare-gaki on the 11th, Oiyama Narashi on the 12th, and Shudan Yamakasa Mise on the 13th, followed by final preparations on the 14th.
In the early morning of the 15th, the Oiyama begins, and the floats race from Kushida Shrine into the streets of Hakata.
Source: 博多祇園山笠スケジュール（2026年度） - 博多祇園山笠
How to take part
Visitors can view the decorative yamakasa floats displayed at locations throughout Fukuoka City and watch events featuring floats racing along the streets.
According to the 2026 event information, no reservation is required for the main events.
Taking part as someone who carries a yamakasa is subject to the rules and customs of each local nagare or group, so the same conditions as for spectators do not apply.
According to the 2026 event information, no reservation is required just to watch.
If you are interested in taking part in carrying a yamakasa, you need to check the conditions set by each nagare or participating group, including clothing and how to take part in the Shinto rites.
The Reiwa 8 annual information from the Sangokai says that participants are welcome even if they can only take part for 1 day of the scheduled dates, but the group’s recruitment closed on May 31, 2026.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Decorative yamakasa floats are displayed at locations throughout Fukuoka City; kakiyamakasa floats appear across the Hakata area, including at Kushida Shrine.
Kushida Shrine is the main venue for the votive events.
- Train and bus
It is a 2-minute walk from Kushida--mae Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line, and a 6-minute walk from Gion Station or Nakasu-Kawabata Station on the Airport Line.
Nishitetsu buses are a 2-minute walk from Canal City Hakata-mae and a 6-minute walk from Kawabata-machi/Hakataza-mae.
- By car
Traffic restrictions are in effect during the festival.
Check the traffic restriction map for restricted areas and times.
Event venue 福岡県福岡市 福岡市内各所
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 event was announced as scheduled to run from July 1 through the 15th.
Decorative yamakasa floats go on display on July 1. On July 9, all the nagare take part in the Oshioi-tori purification ritual; Nagare-gaki takes place on the 10th and 14th, and Asayamakasa and Tanagare-gaki take place on the 11th.
The main events are the Oiyama Narashi, starting at 3:59 p.m. on the 12th; the Shudan Yamakasa Mise, starting at 3:30 p.m. on the 13th; and the Oiyama, starting at 4:59 a.m. on the 15th.
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 Fukuoka Prefecture / Fukuoka City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The Oiyama takes place early in the morning, and the area around Kushida Shrine gets especially crowded.
Spectator guidance warns that it may be difficult and dangerous to pass through the area near Kushida Shrine, and advises visitors not to force their way through but to choose a spot where they can watch at a more leisurely pace.
Traffic restrictions are in effect during the festival, so visitors should use public transportation and check their viewing location in advance.
Source: 交通規制について - 博多祇園山笠
Nearby attractions
Kushida Shrine, the festival’s central shrine, is considered Hakata’s chief guardian shrine, and a decorative yamakasa float is on display in its grounds year-round.
Jotenji Temple has a monument marking the birthplace of Hakata Yamakasa, where you can trace traditions related to the festival’s origins.
Tochoji Temple is also introduced as a related attraction in the Hakata Old Town area, where you can explore Hakata’s history alongside the yamakasa procession route.
Sumiyoshi Shrine
福岡県福岡市博多区住吉にある神社
博多ポートタワー
博多港にあるタワー
Ohori Park
福岡市中央区の公園
写真：Tzuhsun Hsu from Taipei, Taiwan / CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo source ·
志賀海神社
福岡県福岡市東区にある神社
海の中道海浜公園
福岡県福岡市東区にある国営公園
福岡アジア美術館
福岡市博多区にある美術館
福岡タワー
福岡市早良区の電波塔
福岡城
福岡市中央区にある城
福岡市動植物園
福岡市の動物園及び植物園
福岡市博物館
福岡市早良区にある博物館
福岡市美術館
福岡市中央区の大濠公園にある美術館
Origins and History of Hakata Gion Yamakasa
Hakata Gion Yamakasa is said to have originated in 1241, when an epidemic spread through Hakata. Enni, the founder of Jotenji Temple, carried a segaki-dana platform through the town and prayed for the epidemic to end.
The festival was passed down as its ties with Hakata’s neighborhood organizations and Kushida Shrine grew stronger.
The layout of the town districts that led to today’s seven nagare is said to be connected to Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s restoration of Hakata in Tensho 15.
Official information
Check the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Promotion Association’s official website for official information.
The website provides information on the 2026 schedule, course map, kakiyamakasa and decorative yamakasa floats, traffic restrictions, and more.
Kushida Shrine’s phone number is also listed as a contact for spectator inquiries.
Source: Hakata Gion Yamakasa
Hakata Gion Yamakasa at a Glance
Hakata Gion Yamakasa is a votive festival held across Fukuoka City, centered on Kushida Shrine.
From July 1 through the 15th, a range of events takes place, from the display of decorative yamakasa floats to the Oiyama.
You can choose what to see based on your interests, from the daytime Oiyama Narashi and Shudan Yamakasa Mise to the early-morning Oiyama.
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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