A summer event in Kurobe, where wishes are entrusted to wheat-straw boats and sent down the Maekawa River
Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year, on the last Sunday of July, in the evening / Every year
- Location
- Maekawa River (Nakajin District)
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Kurobe 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Passed down in Nakajin District, Kurobe City, Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi is a summer event in which children send wheat-straw boats down the river to carry away drowsiness and impurities.
About Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi
Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi is an intangible folk cultural property passed down in Nakajin District, Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture.
Children make small boats from wheat straw, colored paper, and other materials, entrust them with their drowsiness and spiritual and physical impurities, then send them down the river.
On a summer evening, a procession carrying the boats aloft parades through the district, after which the boats are pushed downstream on the Maekawa River. The event centers on local children.
Source: 中陣のニブ流し 文化遺産オンライン / 国の記録作成等の措置を講ずべき無形の民俗文化財｜黒部市
Festival highlights
A highlight is the children carrying aloft the wheat-straw boats they made themselves as they parade through the district to flute and drum music.
The boats are shaped with bamboo strips and wheat straw, then decorated with mast poles and colored paper.
After the procession, the children enter the Maekawa River, set candlelit boats afloat, and push them downstream.
A summer event in Kurobe, where wishes are entrusted to wheat-straw boats and sent down the Maekawa River
What to expect
In preparation for the event, families with children make boats with help from adults once summer vacation begins.
In the evening, the children bring their boats to the community center and, when everyone has gathered, carry them aloft as they walk through the settlement.
After making a circuit, they enter a still stretch of the Maekawa River, set the boats afloat, and send them downstream.
Flute and drum music accompanies the event throughout.
Source: 中陣のニブ流し | 黒部市東布施地区「布施谷」
How to take part
Children from Nakajin District are at the heart of the event, and adults help make the boats.
District residents support the event by playing flutes and drums and organizing the procession, while residents of the settlement and nearby areas gather along the riverbank.
Please follow the local community’s guidance on the day to find out whether visitors may join in making boats or taking part in the event in the river.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Nakajin District, Kurobe City.
The event takes place on the Maekawa River, which flows through the district.
- Train and bus
Take the Toyama Chihō Railway to Dentetsu-Kurobe Station, then take a bus bound for Ikejiri and get off at Nakajin.
- By car
10 minutes by car from the Taya intersection on Route 8.
Address Nakajin District, Kurobe City, Toyama Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year, on the last Sunday of July, in the evening
- 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 Toyama Prefecture / Kurobe City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The boats are sent down the Maekawa River, with children entering the river to push them downstream.
When watching, please view from the designated viewing areas so as not to disrupt the procession or the local community’s activities along the river.
As the event takes place in the evening, take care around your footing and the condition of the riverbank.
Nearby attractions
黒部川電気記念館
富山県黒部市にある博物館
写真：江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo) / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source ·
黒部市吉田科学館
富山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi
It is unclear when or how Nibu-nagashi began, but elders recall it as an event that was already being held when they were young.
It declined in the late Showa 30s due to changes in lifestyle and a decrease in wheat cultivation, among other factors.
Later, in the Showa 50s, the event was revived through efforts by groups such as the youth association and the middle-aged association, and preservation efforts began.
Official information
Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi is featured as an intangible folk cultural property on the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Cultural Heritage Online.
Its preservation group is the Nakajin Nibu-nagashi Preservation Society.
Kurobe City also lists it as an intangible folk cultural property of Nakajin District and provides details about the event and transportation.
Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi at a Glance
Nakajin no Nibu-nagashi is an event passed down in Nakajin District, Kurobe City, in which people entrust their drowsiness and impurities to boats and send them away.
Children make boats from wheat straw and colored paper, parade through the district to flute and drum music, then send the boats down the Maekawa River.
This folk event, centered on children, has been revived and preserved through the cooperation of the local community.
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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