Children’s kabuki passed down through generations on lavish hikiyama stages, and neighborhood festival traditions
Nagahama Hikiyama Festival
The 2026 edition of Nagahama Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/09 〜 2026/04/17Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year
- Location
- The neighborhoods of the float groups in Nagahama City, centered on Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine
- Area
- Shiga Prefecture・Nagahama City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 20 min–3 h · bullet train + connecting 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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Tiered seating costs 5,500 yen for a full day and 3,500 yen for a half day.If seats remain, tickets purchased on the day cost an additional 500 yen per price category.
- Age restrictions
- Sanbaso performers are boys in grades 3–5 who attend elementary schools in the city. The child kabuki performers are boys about 5 to 12 years old.
- Required number of participants
- 1 Sanbaso performer
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This spring festival in Nagahama City centers on Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine, with magnificent hikiyama floats and children’s kabuki bringing color to the town. A variety of events take place during the festival, including float processions, parades, and the procession.
About Nagahama Hikiyama Festival
The Nagahama Hikiyama Festival is a traditional event in Nagahama City, centered on Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine.
Hikiyama floats adorned with lavish decorations are pulled through town, and children’s kabuki is performed on their stages as a dedication.
A key feature is how the hikiyama procession is connected to local festival traditions and passed down from generation to generation in each neighborhood.
Source: Nagahama Hikiyama Festival / 長浜曳山祭の行事紹介 | 長浜・米原・奥びわ湖を楽しむ観光情報サイト
Festival highlights
The main highlight is children’s kabuki, performed on the lavishly decorated stages of the hikiyama floats.
Boys around 5 to 12 years old perform in costume, with different plays staged on each hikiyama float.
At night, lantern-lit hikiyama floats appear, giving the festival a different atmosphere from the daytime.
Source: 長浜曳山祭が盛大に開催！｜滋賀県
Children’s kabuki passed down through generations on lavish hikiyama stages, and neighborhood festival traditions
What to expect
The festival begins with events such as the incense-watch and the naked pilgrimage, followed by the mikoshi procession, the lot-drawing ceremony, and the hikiyama floats’ ascent.
Child performers walk through town during the evening and morning processions, then perform children’s kabuki on the stages of the hikiyama floats.
Enjoy the sequence of events, where dedications and processions overlap, including the return procession of the mikoshi and the return of the floats.
How to take part
General visitors can watch the various events, hikiyama, and child kabuki performances.
However, child performers and Sanbaso performers are subject to eligibility requirements, so participation is not open to everyone.
The 2026 Sanbaso performer recruitment was for boys in grades 3–5 who attend elementary schools in the city.
For the 2026 Sanbaso performer recruitment, applicants were instructed to provide their address, name, school, grade, parent or guardian's name, and phone number, and apply by web form, fax, or post.
The application deadline is February 16. If there are more applicants than places, a draw will be held.
Information on reserving tiered seating is available for general festival viewing.
Source: 長浜曳山まつり「三番叟」役者募集 - 広報ながはま令和8年1月号 - 長浜市の広報紙 | POTETO スマート広報 / 長浜曳山まつり「観覧桟敷席」２月３日より予約受付開始 | 長浜・米原・奥びわ湖を楽しむ観光情報サイト
Location and access
- Venue and address
Events take place around Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine, including in the neighborhoods of the float groups.
Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine is located at 13-55 Miyamae-cho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture.
- Train and bus
Get off at Nagahama Station on the JR Biwako Line; it is a 5–10-minute walk.
Source: 長浜曳山まつり2024 | 滋賀県観光情報［公式観光サイト］滋賀・びわ湖のすべてがわかる！
Address 13-55 Miyamae-cho, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture (Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine)
Dates and season
2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)
- Dates
2026-04-09 to 2026-04-17.
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 Shiga Prefecture / Nagahama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Hikiyama processions, parades, and offering performances take place at several locations, so it is a good idea to check the event and time you want to see in advance.
The 2026 seating information states that times may change.
If the events scheduled for the 15th are postponed due to weather or other reasons, the seating date will also be postponed.
Nearby attractions
ヤンマーミュージアム
滋賀県長浜市にある博物館
国友鉄砲ミュージアム
滋賀県長浜市にある博物館
小谷城戦国歴史資料館
滋賀県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
都久夫須麻神社
滋賀県長浜市の竹生島にある神社
長浜八幡宮
滋賀県長浜市にある神社
長浜城歴史博物館
滋賀県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
長浜鉄道スクエア
滋賀県長浜市にある鉄道保存展示施設
黒壁ガラス館
滋賀県長浜市にあるアートギャラリー
Origins and History of Nagahama Hikiyama Festival
The Nagahama Hikiyama Festival is said to have begun during the period when Toyotomi Hideyoshi ruled Nagahama.
It is said to have begun when townspeople used money given to them to celebrate the birth of a boy to build hikiyama floats, which they then pulled in the festival procession at Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine.
In its 2026 report, Shiga Prefecture describes it as a traditional event with a history of about 400 years.
Official information
For official information, the Nagahama Hikiyama Festival’s official website has details on the festival’s origins, hikiyama floats, and children’s kabuki.
The 2026 festival report is also available on Shiga Prefecture’s public information page.
Information about recruiting performers and reserved spectator seating is provided in Nagahama City’s public notices and tourism information for Nagahama, Maibara, and Oku-Biwako.
Nagahama Hikiyama Festival at a Glance
The Nagahama Hikiyama Festival is a traditional event centered on Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine, featuring hikiyama floats parading through town and children’s kabuki performances dedicated at the shrine.
In 2026, it was held from April 9 through the 17th, and children’s kabuki was performed from April 13 through the 16th.
For the best viewing experience, check the venue and times for each event before you go.
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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