Kusaba’s summer tradition of welcoming ancestors with a Bon rope made from vines
Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on August 15 / Every year
- Location
- Open area in front of the agricultural cooperative warehouse
- 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.
- Features
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This Bon event passed down in Kusaba, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City, involves the community making a Bon rope from vines and pulling against one another. It is said that cutting the rope creates a path for ancestral spirits to return home.
About Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War
The Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War is a Bon event passed down in the Kusaba area of Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City, and is designated an intangible folk cultural property of the city.
Every year on August 15, a Bon rope is made from vines gathered from a nearby mountain.
The event is connected to Bon customs, when people gather to welcome and send off the spirits of their ancestors.
Source: 福岡市 【そうなんだ西区】草場の盆綱引き
Festival highlights
A highlight is watching the preparations, as vines gathered from a nearby mountain are bundled together and made into a Bon rope.
Around 5 p.m., local residents gather in the open area in front of the agricultural cooperative warehouse and pull against one another on the finished rope.
The event also has a distinctive format: a cut is made in the rope, and the tug-of-war ends when it breaks.
Kusaba’s summer tradition of welcoming ancestors with a Bon rope made from vines
What to expect
The event begins early in the morning with gathering vines from a nearby mountain.
Vines are bundled together in the open area in front of the agricultural cooperative warehouse to make the Bon rope. Around 5 p.m., local residents gather to pull against one another.
At around the third round, a cut is made in the rope, and the tug-of-war ends when the rope breaks.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Open area in front of the agricultural cooperative warehouse, 223-7 Kusaba, Oaza
- Train and bus
The nearest station is Kyudai-Gakkentoshi Station on the JR Chikuhi Line / Nearby bus stops are Ogihara, Oharanishi, Ito Eigyosho, and Kuwabara Kominkan
- By car
Fukuoka Prefectural Route 507, Miyano-ura-Maebaru Line
Source: 草場 (福岡市) - Wikipedia
Address 223-7 Kusaba, Oaza, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on August 15
- Frequency
Every year
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)
Nearby attractions
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 Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War
The Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War was once one of the summer annual events held in many communities.
In Kusaba, the tradition of making a Bon rope, pulling against one another, and cutting the rope has been passed down.
It is said that the rope is cut to create a path for ancestral spirits to return home. Today, the event is preserved by the community as an intangible folk cultural property of the city.
Official information
Fukuoka City Nishi Ward Official Website, “Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War”
Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War at a Glance
The Kusaba Bon Rope Tug-of-War is a Bon festival event held every year on August 15 in Kusaba, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City.
Vines gathered from the mountain early in the morning are made into a Bon rope, and around 5 p.m. local residents pull against one another.
The custom of ending the event by cutting the rope carries the meaning of creating a path for ancestral spirits to return home.
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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