Three days of 14 dashi bringing color to Karatsu’s former castle town
Karatsu Kunchi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/11/02 〜 2026/11/04Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- Every year, from November 2 through the 4th / Every year
- Location
- Around Karatsu Shrine
- Area
- Saga Prefecture・Karatsu 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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Karatsu Kunchi, held as the autumn grand festival of Karatsu Shrine, features 14 parading through the former castle town. Lantern-lit dashi during the Yoiyama evening procession, the pulling into the , dashi music, and shouted calls bring Karatsu to life over three days.
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: MC MasterChef File:UesugiKabuto.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: MC MasterChef File:Taiyama.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5 自ら撮影Display size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.About Karatsu Kunchi
Karatsu Kunchi is a festival in Karatsu City held each year from November 2 through the 4th as the autumn grand festival of Karatsu Shrine.
Accompanying the procession of the , 14 dashi shaped like lions, helmets, sea bream, and other figures travel through the former castle town.
Made using dry-lacquer techniques and finished with Japanese paper, lacquer, and gold leaf, the dashi are works of decorative art that offer a combined experience of Karatsu’s festival and craft traditions.
Festival highlights
A highlight is seeing 14 dashi, each with a different shape and design, make their way through the town.
On the night of November 2, lantern-lit dashi gather in front of Karatsu Shrine. On November 3, they are pulled into and out of the otabisho at Nishinohama.
The pulling-in is especially dramatic: the wheels sink into the sandy ground as the shouts grow louder, bringing the size of the dashi and the strength of the pullers up close.
Three days of 14 dashi bringing color to Karatsu’s former castle town
What to expect
On the first day, dashi depart from their respective neighborhoods for the Yoiyama evening procession, making their way through the former castle town and joining up along the way.
On the second day, following an early-morning dedication of the Kabukabu , the mikoshi and dashi head to the otabisho at Nishinohama, where they are pulled in and then out.
On the final day, after parading through the former castle town, the dashi are returned to the Dashi Exhibition Hall beside Karatsu Shrine, bringing the three days of events to a close.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the festival from along the procession route and other areas.
For 2026, volunteers aged 18 or older are being recruited to manage roadside areas and provide information, but this is participation in support of festival operations.
For 2026, applications for operations volunteers are being accepted from September 1 through September 30. Applicants are instructed to print the application PDF and submit it by fax or in person at the Karatsu Shrine office.
Duties include managing the roadside areas and providing information during the dashi procession, and volunteers must work at the specified times and locations.
Source: 令和8年唐津くんちボランティア募集 ｜ 唐津神社公式ホームページ
Location and access
- Venue and address
The festival takes place around Karatsu Shrine (3-13 Minamijonai, Karatsu, Saga Prefecture).
The procession also passes through the former castle town and Nishinohama.
- Train and bus
It is about a 10-minute walk from JR Karatsu Station.
It is also about a 10-minute walk from the temporary Showa Bus Headquarters bus stop, but during the festival period, buses are rerouted around Karatsu Station and the Karatsu Bus Center, and some routes are suspended.
- By car
Please use a municipal paid parking lot or a temporary free parking lot.
Roads and parking lots get crowded during the festival period, and traffic restrictions are in place.
- Parking
Municipal paid parking lots include Higashijonai Parking Lot, Former Takatori Residence Parking Lot, Minamijonai Parking Lot, and Zaimokumachi Parking Lot.
Temporary free parking lots are also provided, but no shuttle buses run to the venue.
Source: 唐津くんち | イベント | 【公式】佐賀県観光サイト あそぼーさが
Address 3-13 Minamijonai, Karatsu, Saga 847-0013
Dates and season
Karatsu Kunchi 2026 will be held from November 2 through November 4.
On November 2, the Yoiyama procession begins at 7 p.m.; on November 3, the otabisho procession begins at 9:30 a.m.; and on November 4, the festival’s concluding rites begin at 10 a.m.
In the early morning of November 3, the lion dance “Kanda Kabukabu Shishi” is dedicated in the precincts of Karatsu Shrine.
As the procession times and highlights vary by day, it’s best to visit in time for the event you want to see.
Source: 唐津くんちの案内情報 - 唐津市ホームページ（観光課）
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 Saga Prefecture / Karatsu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
While the dashi are on the move, do not approach them or their ropes, or enter the procession route.
Walking alongside a dashi or sitting on the road to watch is also prohibited.
Since the pullers run spread across the full width of the road, do not lean out from the sidewalk, and follow the instructions of police officers and festival staff.
Selfie sticks and drones are also prohibited in some areas, so please prioritize the safety of those around you while watching.
Nearby attractions
Nearby sightseeing spots include Karatsu Shrine, the former Oshima Residence, the former Karatsu Bank, and the former Takatori Residence.
Karatsu Shrine is the setting for the autumn grand festival during which Karatsu Kunchi is held.
If you want to see the dashi outside the festival period, the Dashi Exhibition Hall is located on the grounds of Furusato Kaikan Arpino, next to Karatsu Station.
Source: 唐津くんちの歴史など - 唐津市ホームページ（観光課）
佐賀県立名護屋城博物館
佐賀県唐津市にある博物館
写真：Aboshi at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
名護屋城
佐賀県の城跡
写真：Aboshi at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
唐津神社
佐賀県唐津市南城内にある神社
末盧館
佐賀県唐津市にある博物館
河村美術館
佐賀県唐津市にある美術館
鏡神社
唐津市にある神社
Origins and History of Karatsu Kunchi
Karatsu Shrine was established in 755. The mikoshi procession, considered the precursor to today’s Karatsu Kunchi, is said to have begun around the Kanbun era (1661–1673).
In 1819, the Red Lion, now the No. 1 dashi, was completed, and the different neighborhoods went on to build their own dashi.
The current 14 dashi were assembled by Meiji 9 (1876). The dashi procession was designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980 and registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.
Official information
Details of the 2026 festival and the three days of processions are available in the tourism section of the Karatsu City website.
Information on the venue, transport, and parking is posted on Saga Prefecture’s tourism website, “Asobo Saga.”
The official Karatsu Shrine website also has information about recruiting operations volunteers for 2026.
Karatsu Kunchi at a Glance
Karatsu Kunchi is held from November 2 through the 4th as the autumn grand festival of Karatsu Shrine, with 14 dashi parading through the former castle town.
Enjoy different scenes each day, from the evening Yoiyama procession to the pulling into the otabisho and the final-day return of the dashi.
When watching the procession, keep the route clear, stay away from the dashi and ropes, and follow the safety instructions.
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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