A nighttime Kangen Festival, with a lantern-lit, drum-filled lead boat traveling along the Setoda Channel
Hōran-e (Hiroshima Prefecture)
The 2026 edition of Hōran-e (Hiroshima Prefecture) has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/01Ended
- Season / frequency
- Usually, day 17 of lunar month 6 / Every year
- Location
- Takane Itsukushima Shrine, Setoda Channel
- Area
- Hiroshima Prefecture・Onomichi City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 50 min–4 h 20 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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Hōran-e, held at Takane Itsukushima Shrine in Setoda-cho, Onomichi, is a waterborne Kangen Festival in which a lead boat and towing boats travel back and forth along the Setoda Channel. Boats depicting a large gate with lanterns, drums and gongs, and shouted calls come together over the water at night. In 2026, it was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on August 1 (Saturday).
About Hōran-e (Hiroshima Prefecture)
Hōran-e is a Kangen Festival held at Takane Itsukushima Shrine in Setoda-cho, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture.
Its official name is the Takane Itsukushima Shrine Kangen Festival, held on day 17 of lunar month 6 to coincide with the Kangen Festival at Itsukushima Shrine.
Setoda Channel, between Takanejima and Ikuchijima, is the setting for this waterborne festival, where lantern-decorated lead and towing boats travel back and forth, creating a festival that connects the islands.
Source: ホーランエ (広島県) - Wikipedia / 高根島管絃祭ホーランエ - 尾道海属 ONOMICHI KAIZOKU オフィシャルサイト
Festival highlights
Highlights include the lead boat, whose lanterns outline a large torii gate, and a procession on the water accompanied by drums and gongs.
The towing boats move in response to the lead boat’s call of “Hōen’ya,” answering, “Hōran’ē, yoiyasano-sa.”
The 2026 event information describes the boats rowing upstream against the current through the Setoda Channel at night, and presents it as a fantastical festival where lights and sounds come together.
A nighttime Kangen Festival, with a lantern-lit, drum-filled lead boat traveling along the Setoda Channel
What to expect
The festival begins with a ritual at Takane Itsukushima Shrine, after which the organizers board the lead boat carrying a sacred talisman.
The towing boats respond to calls from the lead boat with shouts, and the boats make 2 round trips between Takane Itsukushima Shrine and the Setoda Pier on Ikuchijima.
Drums and gongs are played aboard the boats, while people along the shore watch and listen as the boats move through the channel at night, accompanied by sounds and calls.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Takane Itsukushima Shrine, Setoda Channel (Setoda-cho, Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture)
Event venue 広島県尾道市 高根厳島神社
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)
In 2026, the event was scheduled to take place at Takane Itsukushima Shrine and the Setoda Channel from 6:30 p.m. on August 1 (Saturday).
It is usually held on day 17 of lunar month 6 to coincide with the Kangen Festival at Itsukushima Shrine.
The event time may vary by year, so check the latest information if you are planning to watch on the day.
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 Hiroshima Prefecture / Onomichi City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
おのみち歴史博物館
広島県尾道市にある博物館
なかた美術館
広島県尾道市にある美術館
千光寺公園
広島県尾道市の公園
尾道市立美術館
広島県尾道市にある美術館
Origins and History of Hōran-e (Hiroshima Prefecture)
Takane Itsukushima Shrine is a subsidiary shrine of Itsukushima Shrine. It is said that a large camphor tree that once stood on the was used to build Itsukushima Shrine’s large torii gate.
In connection with this, the Kangen Festival is said to have come to be held on the Setoda Channel, recreating the imperial barge that carried the camphor tree and the oar-propelled boats that towed it.
According to an oral account, the festival began in the Edo period; written records mention it in the 1912 Takanejima Local History.
Official information
The 2026 event information can be found in an event article by Onomichi Kaizoku.
The article lists the event time as 6:30 p.m. on August 1, 2026 (Saturday), and the venue as Takane Itsukushima Shrine and the Setoda Channel in Setoda-cho, Onomichi.
Hōran-e (Hiroshima Prefecture) at a Glance
Hōran-e is a waterborne Kangen Festival held at Takane Itsukushima Shrine and on the Setoda Channel in Setoda-cho, Onomichi.
The lead boat, representing a large torii gate with lanterns, and the towing boats moving to the sound of drums, gongs, and shouts create a distinctive scene.
The 2026 event was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. on August 1 (Saturday), offering visitors a chance to watch the boats move along the channel at night.
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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