Boats and prayers make their way around Ine Bay in the Gion Festival of the Sea
Ine Festival
The 2026 edition of Ine Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/25 〜 2026/07/26Ended
- Season / frequency
- Late July / Every year
- Location
- Around Yasaka Shrine and Ine Bay
- Area
- Kyoto Prefecture・Ine Town(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
This traditional festival takes place on Ine Bay, where boats bearing lanterns and festival boats make their way across the water. Dedications at Yasaka Shrine and the maritime procession are long-standing traditions.
About Ine Festival
The Ine Festival is held every year in late July in Ine Town, Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture.
This traditional event, held on Ine Bay and at Yasaka Shrine, carries on the prayers for safe voyages, a good catch, and abundant harvests.
During the Yoimiya, boats bearing lanterns cross the bay, and during the main festival, festival boats and boats make a maritime procession.
In years when the grand festival is held, boat floats also join in, and the festival is called the “Gion Festival of the Sea.”
Source: 伊根祭 | 伊根町観光協会 / 伊根祭 | イベント一覧 | 京都府観光連盟公式サイト
Festival highlights
The highlight is the maritime procession of festival boats and kagura boats across Ine Bay.
During the Yoimiya, boats set out from each district, using lantern light to make characters appear.
At the grand festival, boat floats with lavish stern decorations cruise around the bay, while kabuki and Sanbaso performances take place aboard them.
Tachi-furi sword dances and kagura are also dedicated at Yasaka Shrine.
Source: 伊根祭 - Wikipedia
Boats and prayers make their way around Ine Bay in the Gion Festival of the Sea
What to expect
The festival takes place over 2 days, progressing through the Yoimatsuri, Yoimiya, and main festival.
During the Yoimiya, boats bearing lanterns cross Ine Bay. For the main festival, participants board festival boats and kagura boats, make a maritime procession, and then enter the .
Kagura dances, gagaku court music, children’s dances, and tachi-furi sword dances are among the dedications. At night, the Yoimiya includes visits to Yasaka Shrine and Hachiman Shrine.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around Yasaka Shrine (Ine Bay, Ine Town, Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture).
The festival takes place at Yasaka Shrine and around Ine Bay.
- Train and bus
From Amanohashidate Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway Miyazu Line, take a Tankai Bus and get off at the Ine bus stop.
The journey takes about 55 minutes.
- By car
A recommended route is via National Routes 176 and 178 from the Miyazu-Amanohashidate IC on the Kyoto Jukan Expressway.
- Parking
Nearby options include Shichimensan Parking Lot, Ineura Park Parking Lot, and Onishi Parking Lot.
Source: 伊根祭 | OMATSURI NAVI｜英語対応、日本のお祭り検索サイト「お祭りナビ」
Address 3 Kameshima, Ine, Ine Town, Yosa District, Kyoto Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 Festival Information (the dates listed have passed)
The 2026 festival information listed the Ine Festival as taking place from July 25 (Saturday) to July 26 (Sunday).
The venues are around Yasaka Shrine and Ine Bay.
It is usually held on a Saturday and Sunday in late July, with boat processions and dedication ceremonies taking place mainly during the Yoimiya and main festival.
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 Kyoto Prefecture / Ine Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Tourist attractions listed near the venue include the funaya boathouses of Ine, water taxis, the Ine Town Tourist Exchange Facility “Funaya Biyori,” the Funaya no Sato Ine roadside station, and Ine Bay sightseeing cruises.
The funaya boathouses and water taxis are 0.2 km in a straight line from the area around Yasaka Shrine, while the Ine Bay sightseeing cruises are 0.8 km away.
Visitors can enjoy the bay’s scenery and boat-related attractions alongside the festival.
Origins and History of Ine Festival
The Ine Festival has continued for more than about 300 years, since the Edo period.
Its origins are said to date to the early modern period, when the 3 villages of Kameshima, Hirata, and Hinode enshrined Gion Gozu Tenno Shrine at Yasaka Shrine.
The boat floats are said to have been built with proceeds from a whale caught in Ine Bay in 1761. Today, the “Yasaka Shrine Festival Boat Float Event” is registered as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kyoto Prefecture.
Official information
Information about the Ine Festival is available on the official Ine Town Tourism Association website.
The Kyoto Prefecture Tourism Federation’s event page provides information on the dates, venue, address, transportation, and contact details.
The contact is the Ine Town Tourism Association, and the phone number is 0772-32-0277.
Ine Festival at a Glance
The Ine Festival is a traditional event held on Ine Bay and at Yasaka Shrine to pray for safe voyages, a good catch, and abundant harvests.
Highlights include lantern-lit boats and processions of festival boats and kagura boats, as well as tachi-furi sword dances and kagura dedications.
In years when the grand festival is held, boat floats make their way around the bay. The festival is known as the “Gion Festival of the Sea,” reflecting the culture of the sea and boats.
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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