A Hita summer festival where lantern-lit dashi floats and music parade through the streets
Hita Gion Festival
The 2026 edition of Hita Gion Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/25 〜 2026/07/26Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year in July / Once a year
- Location
- The townscapes of Hita City’s Kuma, Takeda, and Mameda districts, and the Gion shrines in each district
- Area
- Oita Prefecture・Hita City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 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
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free. Paid seating is available for the group unveiling.
- Age restrictions
- Recruitment is open to men from junior high school age through 50 (in principle).
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Hita Gion is a traditional summer festival in Hita, with magnificent floats parading through the Mameda, Kuma, and Takeda districts to the sound of Gion music. The 2026 main festival was scheduled for July 25 and the 26th.
About Hita Gion Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Mukai File:Gion fesutebaru Hita Oita Japan 2.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Mukai File:Gionn Festival Hita Ooita.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Mukai File:Gion fesutebaru Hita Oita Japan 11.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Hita Gion is a traditional summer festival that brings together the Gion festivals of three shrines in Hita City’s Mameda, Kuma, and Takeda districts.
As a Shinto rite to ward off epidemics, floods, and storm damage and pray for the community’s well-being, dashi floats parade through the streets to the sound of Gion music.
The floats are passed down within each neighborhood, reflecting the community’s role in supporting the festival.
It is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Source: 日田祇園・日田祇園山鉾集団顔見世 - 日田においでよ。 - 日田市 / ユネスコ無形文化遺産「日田祇園の曳山行事」 - 日田市
Festival highlights
A highlight is the 9 dashi floats, each elaborately decorated by its neighborhood.
You can see dashi floats around 10 meters tall, figures depicting famous kabuki scenes, and brocade curtains embroidered with gold thread up close.
During the evening procession, lanterns illuminate the dashi floats as they parade to Gion music played on flutes, drums, and shamisen.
At the group float display, all 9 floats gather in front of JR Hita Station.
A Hita summer festival where lantern-lit dashi floats and music parade through the streets
What to expect
Festival preparations begin with koyairi in early July. The floats are repainted and decorated, their wheels assembled, and figures placed aboard.
Before the festival, the are washed, the floats are pulled in a practice procession, and the group float display is held.
During the main festival, dashi floats parade through each district and take part in shrine offerings and the sacred procession.
At night, a lantern-lit evening procession is held, and the floats are dismantled the following day.
Source: 日田祇園2026 - 日田祇園祭特設サイト
How to take part
Participants are being recruited to push the dashi floats from behind during the procession, offering the general public a chance to take part in the festival.
In 2026, recruitment was generally open to men from junior high school age to 50. Applicants coordinate with their neighborhood representative to arrange when they can participate during the group float display and main festival.
This is a way to support the procession as a member of the local community, rather than simply watching.
To apply to participate in 2026, use the application form.
In principle, eligible participants are men from junior high school age through 50. The experience involves pushing from behind a festival float.
The participation times for the group unveiling and main festival are provided as guidelines. Please coordinate the actual meeting time and the times you can participate directly with the person in charge in each neighborhood.
Source: 水が磨く郷／日田祇園祭 参加者（ヒタスケ）を募集します。 | 一般社団法人 日田市観光協会のプレスリリース
Source: 令和8年7月定例記者会見 - 定例記者会見 - 日田市（企画課）
Location and access
- Venue and address
The Kuma, Takeda, and Mameda districts of Hita City, Oita Prefecture.
The main shrines are Kuma Yasaka Shrine (2-8-30 Kuma, Hita City), Mameda Yasaka Shrine (4 Maruno-Uchimachi, Hita City), and Takeda Wakamiya Shrine (3-78 Wakamiya-machi, Hita City).
- Train and bus
Hita Station on the JR Kyudai Main Line is available.
Kuma Yasaka Shrine and Takeda Wakamiya Shrine are about a 15-minute walk from Hita Station; Mameda Yasaka Shrine is about a 25-minute walk.
- By car
National Route 386 is reported to be completely closed due to damage to Saburo-maru Bridge. Detours include National Route 210.
- Parking
Use of nearby parking lots is recommended.
Source: 日田祇園祭｜活動｜Visit Oita - The Official Tourism Website of Oita,Kyushu,Japan
Address Kuma, Takeda, and Mameda districts, Hita City, Oita Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 Festival Information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 Hita Gion main festival was scheduled for July 25 (Saturday) and the 26th (Sunday).
The dashi procession takes place in the Kuma, Takeda, and Mameda districts, and a lantern-lit evening procession is also scheduled.
The related group float display was scheduled for July 19 (Sunday) at 6:30 p.m. in front of JR Hita Station.
Start times and other details are provisional and may change depending on circumstances.
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 Oita Prefecture / Hita City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The parade times for the festival floats are scheduled and may vary depending on circumstances, so it is best to check the operating information for the float you want to see before heading out.
Large crowds are expected during the festival, and traffic restrictions and detours for public transportation have been announced around the event area.
Please also be aware of traffic restrictions on National Route 386.
If you plan to watch the evening parade, check the end time and your transportation options for the return trip in advance.
Nearby attractions
In Mameda, the main setting for the festival, Hita Mamedamachi Shopping Street is introduced as a nearby tourist attraction.
The Hita Gion dashi procession passes through the streets of Mameda, Kuma, and Takeda, allowing visitors to enjoy the townscape along with the festival spaces in each district.
Nearby attractions include the Attack on Titan Museum as well as Hita Mamedamachi Shopping Street.
Please check each facility’s information for opening status and terms of use when you visit.
咸宜園教育研究センター
大分県日田市にある研究施設
天領日田洋酒博物館
大分県日田市にある私設博物館
廣瀬資料館
大分県日田市豆田魚町にある博物館
日本丸館
大分県日田市豆田上町にある製薬資料館
道の駅鯛生金山
大分県日田市にある国道442号の道の駅
Origins and History of Hita Gion Festival
The earliest documentary reference to Hita Gion’s dashi floats dates to Kanbun 5 (1665), and they began to be built on a larger scale in the Mameda and Kuma districts around Shotoku 4 (1714).
The dashi floats grew larger from the Edo period through the early Meiji period, but the procession was suspended at times due to overhead utility wires and the effects of war.
The festival resumed after the war, and dashi floats from each neighborhood in Mameda were gradually restored as well.
It was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Heisei 8 and became part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in Heisei 28.
Official information
The Hita City official website lists the 2026 Hita Gion main festival dates, dashi procession schedule, group float display, traffic information, and parking details.
For more information about the preparations, each neighborhood’s dashi floats, and Gion music, you can also visit the Hita Gion Festival special website.
Information is also available to help you find the locations of dashi floats during the procession.
Hita Gion Festival at a Glance
Hita Gion is a traditional festival featuring dashi floats and Gion music, passed down in the three districts of Mameda, Kuma, and Takeda.
The 2026 main festival was scheduled for July 25 and the 26th, with a group float display featuring all 9 dashi floats scheduled for the previous week on July 19.
In addition to the daytime procession, the lantern-lit evening procession is another major highlight.
There are also opportunities to volunteer to push the floats from behind. Check the eligibility requirements and application process before applying.
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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