A celebration of the sea and international exchange, bringing sailing ships from Japan and abroad to Nagasaki Port
Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Late April
- Area
- Nagasaki Prefecture・Nagasaki City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 20 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A festival where sailing ships from Japan and abroad gather in Nagasaki Port, offering a chance to experience the port city’s scenery and the history of Japan-Netherlands relations.
About Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Luck-one,Japanese Luckone File:FireworksInNagasaki.JPG / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 OriginalDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Kanko から Nagasaki, Japan File:Nippon maru boat.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 FlickrDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.The Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival is a festival that brings sailing ships from Japan and abroad to Nagasaki Port in Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture.
The venues are the quays at Matsugae International Terminal and Nagasaki Seaside Park, where visitors can experience the maritime culture unique to the port city of Nagasaki.
It was first held in 2000 as an event commemorating 400 years of Japan-Netherlands relations.
Source: 長崎帆船まつり - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
The highlight is seeing sailing ships from Japan and abroad gather in Nagasaki Port and moor along its quays.
The sight of sailing ships lined up evokes Nagasaki’s character as a city that has flourished as a gateway to the sea.
Illuminated ships and fireworks are also featured, adding to the nighttime harbor atmosphere.
A celebration of the sea and international exchange, bringing sailing ships from Japan and abroad to Nagasaki Port
What to expect
At the festival, visitors enjoy the ships and harbor scenery as sailing ships gather along the quays of Nagasaki Port.
Participating ships have included Nippon Maru, Kaiwo Maru, Pallada, Nadezhda, Koreana, and Kanko Maru.
As the sailing ships arrive and moor, they gather in the harbor and add color to Nagasaki Port throughout the festival.
Location and access
- Address
Nagasaki City
Host municipality 長崎県長崎市
This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.
Dates and season
- Season
Late April
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 Nagasaki Prefecture / Nagasaki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
グラバー園
長崎県長崎市南山手町にある観光施設
シーボルト記念館
長崎県長崎市にある博物館
三菱重工業長崎造船所史料館
長崎県長崎市にある企業博物館
出島資料館
長崎県長崎市にある出島の歴史資料館
南山手十六番館
長崎県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
国立長崎原爆死没者追悼平和祈念館
日本の長崎県長崎市にある追悼施設
外海歴史民俗資料館
長崎県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
山王神社
長崎県長崎市にある神社
平和公園
長崎市の公園
日本二十六聖人記念館
長崎県長崎市にある博物館
写真：No machine-readable author provided. Fk assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo source ·
旧長崎税関下り松派出所
長崎県長崎市にある歴史的建造物
旧香港上海銀行長崎支店
香港上海銀行の旧長崎支店を引き継いだ記念館
Origins and History of Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival
The Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival began in April 2000 as an event commemorating 400 years of Japan-Netherlands relations.
At the inaugural event, a commemorative ceremony was held attended by Crown Prince Naruhito and Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.
The festival continued to be held in subsequent years, with records showing that from 2001 to 2009 it took place in spring over a 5-day schedule.
Official information
The festival’s information page is the “Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival” website listed in Nagasaki City’s tourism information.
To check event details and the latest visitor information, you can visit the following page.
Source: ナガジン！｜歩くコツ
Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival at a Glance
The Nagasaki Tall Ships Festival is a port-city festival that brings sailing ships from Japan and abroad to Nagasaki Port.
Visitors can enjoy the sight of sailing ships lined up along the quays at Matsugae International Terminal and Nagasaki Seaside Park.
It began as an event commemorating 400 years of Japan-Netherlands relations in 2000, bringing visitors closer to the ships and Nagasaki’s international exchanges.
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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