A spring festival that brings Miyazu’s neighborhoods together with mikoshi and ukidaiko drums
Miyazu Festival
The 2026 edition of Miyazu Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/05/13 〜 2026/05/15Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year, from May 13 through the 15th / Every year
- Location
- Miyazu city center (Waki Shrine and Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine)
- Area
- Kyoto Prefecture・Miyazu City(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.
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
At the Miyazu Festival, tour the seaside and castle town as and ukidaiko drums ring out. The festivities at Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine and Waki Shrine take place at the same time in the eastern and western parts of town, carrying prayers for peace in Miyazu.
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Ross File:Sannoumikoshi1.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Ross File:Ukidaiko.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Ross File:Sannoumikoshi2.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.About Miyazu Festival
The Miyazu Festival is a collective name for the Sanno Festival at Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine and the annual festival at Waki Shrine.
It is held in the eastern and western districts of Miyazu to welcome the local guardian deities into town and pray for the community’s peace.
Traditional performing arts, including kagura and ukidaiko drums, bring the town to life, with the mikoshi procession at the heart of the festival.
Source: 【宮津祭】神様を町へお迎えする―山王宮日吉神社の「山王祭」 - 宮津市ホームページ / 宮津祭 | イベント一覧 | 京都府観光連盟公式サイト
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the mikoshi returning to the shrines after touring the town.
At Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine, the mikoshi are repeatedly carried back and forth along the streets in a procession known as nerikomi. The ritual of returning the mikoshi is accompanied by shouts and ukidaiko drums.
On the Waki Shrine side, the tsujimawashi maneuver is also performed, with performers beating drums as they turn the floats.
Source: 山王祭 (宮津祭) – 山王宮日吉神社 / 【宮津祭】平穏への祈りを神輿や太鼓に力強く託す―和貴宮神社の「春季例大祭」 - 宮津市ホームページ
A spring festival that brings Miyazu’s neighborhoods together with mikoshi and ukidaiko drums
What to expect
The festival begins on the 13th, with daikagura and ukidaiko drums parading through town.
On the 14th, rituals including the Yoimiya Festival are held. The main festival on the 15th features mikoshi processions, kagura, a procession of ceremonial regalia, and ukidaiko drums.
After prayers at the seaside, the mikoshi tour the neighborhoods, and the festival concludes with their return to the shrine at night.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Miyazu city center.
The main festival venues are Waki Shrine (431 Miyamoto, Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture) and Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine.
- Train and bus
Get off at Miyazu Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway.
It is about a 10-minute walk to Waki Shrine and about a 20-minute walk to Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine.
- By car
From the Miyazu-Amanohashidate IC on the Kyoto-Jukan Expressway, it is about 5 minutes to Waki Shrine and about 10 minutes to Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine.
- Parking
There is no parking at the festival venues.
The Hamamachi multi-story parking garage at Roadside Station Umi no Kyoto Miyazu is free for up to 5 hours; hourly charges apply after that.
Source: 宮津祭(京都府)の地図・アクセス情報｜ウォーカープラス
Address Miyazu City, Kyoto Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the announced schedule ran from May 13 (Wednesday) through the 15th (Friday).
The daikagura and ukidaiko processions begin on the 13th, the Yoimiya Festival is held on the 14th, and the main festival centered on the mikoshi procession takes place on the 15th.
On the 15th, mikoshi tour the town and return to the shrines from evening into the night.
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 / Miyazu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
On the 15th, mikoshi processions and their return to the shrines take place, so some areas around the shrines and viewing spots in town can get crowded.
At Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine, mikoshi make their way up stone steps and through the grounds. A vigorous procession also takes place on the Waki Shrine side.
When watching, leave the route clear for the mikoshi and bearers, and watch quietly without disrupting the rituals.
Nearby attractions
山王宮日吉神社
京都府宮津市にある神社、旧郷社
籠神社
京都府宮津市にある神社
Origins and History of Miyazu Festival
The Sanno Festival is said to have been the official festival of the Miyazu domain during the Edo period, with both townspeople and samurai joining the procession.
In the past, yama floats and performance floats paraded through town, and children’s kabuki was also performed.
Around the middle of the Showa era, the eastern festival at Waki Shrine was moved to the same day as the Sanno Festival. This led to the current form, in which the festivities in the eastern and western parts of town are combined and called the Miyazu Festival.
Source: 宮津祭 - Wikipedia
Official information
The official Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine website introduces the origins of the Sanno Festival (Miyazu Festival), the order of the ceremonies, the mikoshi procession, ukidaiko drums, and the return to the shrine.
Miyazu City’s official page provides information on the relationship between the festivals at Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine and Waki Shrine, as well as local history.
Miyazu Festival at a Glance
The Miyazu Festival brings together the ceremonies of Sannogu Hiyoshi Shrine and Waki Shrine, which take place at the same time in Miyazu. It is a festival of mikoshi and traditional performing arts.
To the sound of kagura and ukidaiko drums, mikoshi tour the seaside and neighborhoods before returning to the shrines.
In 2026, the announced schedule ran from May 13 through the 15th.
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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