An autumn festival sending Lake Akan’s marimo home with prayers and a dugout canoe
Marimo Festival
The 2026 edition of Marimo Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/08 〜 2026/10/10Ended
- Season / frequency
- 3 days in early October each year / Every year
- Location
- Around Lake Akan (Lake Akan Onsen, Akan-cho, Kushiro)
- Area
- Hokkaido・Kushiro City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · 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
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Marimo Festival began with the wish to protect Lake Akan’s marimo and return them to the lake. Ainu prayers, dugout canoe ceremonies, and a nighttime torch procession are carried on to this day.
About Marimo Festival
The Marimo Festival is an autumn celebration dedicated to protecting Lake Akan’s marimo, a Special Natural Monument of Japan, and returning them to the lake.
It began in 1950, and traditional Ainu prayers and ceremonies have been passed down ever since.
Through the sequence of “welcoming,” “protecting,” and “sending off” the marimo, this event offers a chance to experience Lake Akan’s natural environment and Ainu spiritual culture.
Festival highlights
The highlight is the “ceremony to send off the marimo,” in which they are carried to the lake in a dugout canoe.
As prayers and songs ring out by the lakeshore, the marimo are returned to the lake waters.
A torch procession takes place at night, lighting up the lakeshore.
Traditional Ainu dances are also performed, offering a chance to experience the wish to protect nature and Ainu culture.
An autumn festival sending Lake Akan’s marimo home with prayers and a dugout canoe
What to expect
At the festival, Ainu people from across Hokkaido offer the traditional prayer “Kamuy-nomi.”
Ceremonies are held to welcome, protect, and send off the marimo, and a dugout canoe floats on Lake Akan.
There is a nighttime torch procession, and traditional dances are also performed.
The festival is one to watch quietly as prayers and ceremonies take place on the lake.
Source: 第77回まりも祭り | 観る・楽しむ | 釧路・阿寒湖観光公式サイト SUPER FANTASTIC Kushiro Lake Akan
How to take part
The festival features prayers and ceremonies performed by Ainu people, as well as traditional dances.
Visitors can watch the ceremony sending the marimo back to the lake, the torch procession, and dances.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Lake Akan Onsen, Akan-cho, Kushiro.
Events take place around Lake Akan.
- Train and bus
About 60 minutes by bus from Tancho Kushiro Airport.
About 80 minutes by car from JR Kushiro Station.
- By car
About 60 minutes by car from Kushiro Airport.
- Parking
500 vehicles, paid.
Address Lake Akan Onsen, Akan-cho, Kushiro, Hokkaido
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 event was scheduled to run from October 8 to October 10.
Over 3 days, ceremonies and prayers to welcome, protect, and send the marimo back to the lake are held, along with dances and other events.
Since the event dates have passed, please check the organizer’s records for details of what took place.
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 Hokkaido / Kushiro City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
If you plan to watch the nighttime torch procession or ceremonies by the lake, be sure to dress warmly for the season.
As the festival includes ceremonies and prayers, please watch quietly at the venue and take care not to disrupt proceedings.
Parking is paid, and capacity is listed as 500 vehicles.
Nearby attractions
Near the venue are Lake Akan Ainu Kotan, Lake Akan Ainu Theater Ikor, Lake Akan, and Lake Akan Onsen.
Nearby sightseeing spots also include the Bokke Nature Trail, where you can experience the natural surroundings, the Lake Akan Lakeside Observatory, and the Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center.
You can plan an itinerary that combines the festival with opportunities to experience Lake Akan’s nature and Ainu culture.
厳島神社
釧路市にある神社
釧路市動物園
北海道釧路市にある動物園
釧路湿原国立公園
北海道にある国立公園
写真：欅 (Keyaki) / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Marimo Festival
The Marimo Festival began in 1950 against the backdrop of efforts to protect Lake Akan’s marimo and return them to the lake.
After the marimo faced threats such as illegal harvesting and falling water levels, the festival has continued as an expression of the wish to protect them.
Traditional Ainu prayers and ceremonies are still passed down, and events are held to welcome, protect, and send off the marimo.
Source: まりも祭り｜阿寒湖アイヌコタン
Official information
Official information is available in the “77th Marimo Festival” listing on the official Kushiro-Akan Lake Tourism website.
For inquiries, contact the Akan Tourism Association Community Development Promotion Organization at 0154-67-3200.
Marimo Festival at a Glance
The Marimo Festival continues to center on the wish to protect Lake Akan’s marimo and return them to the lake.
Highlights include Kamuy-nomi, ceremonies to welcome, protect, and send off the marimo, dugout canoes, traditional Ainu dances, and the nighttime torch procession.
You can watch the festival quietly while respecting Lake Akan’s natural environment and Ainu spiritual culture.
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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