A festival where the banner-decorated dashi by day transforms into a pyramid of light at night
Tobata Gion Oyamagasa
The 2026 edition of Tobata Gion Oyamagasa has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/24 〜 2026/07/26Ended
- Season / frequency
- 3 days spanning the 4th Saturday of July
- Location
- Around Tobata Ward Office (Shinike 1-chome, Tobata Ward, Kitakyushu, and the area around Asō No. 1 Park)
- Area
- Fukuoka Prefecture・Kitakyushu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Reserved seats: ¥5,500 per seat; unreserved seats: ¥4,500 per seat. Children aged 0 to 3 can watch for free while seated on a guardian’s lap.
- Age restrictions
- Reserved and unreserved seats have the same price for adults and children. Children aged 0 to 3 can watch for free while seated on a guardian’s lap.
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Tobata Gion Oyamagasa is a tradition passed down in the Tobata community. By day, with banners appear; at night, dashi with stacked lanterns take their place. In 2026, the event was listed as scheduled from July 24 through the 26th.
About Tobata Gion Oyamagasa
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Wiki591801 File:Tobatagion Floats with decorated flags.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: Wiki591801 File:Tobata Gion Tenraiji Ooyamagasa.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Tobata Gion Oyamagasa is a summer tradition passed down in Tobata Ward, Kitakyushu.
It is a dashi procession held in service of the festivals of Tobata Hachiman Shrine, Sugawara Shrine, and Nakabaru Hachiman Shrine, and is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
It was also registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in Heisei 28.
The dashi, which changes its appearance between day and night, is a symbol of Tobata’s local culture.
Source: 戸畑祇󠄀園大山笠行事 - 北九州市 / 【ユネスコ無形文化遺産登録・国指定】戸畑祇園大山笠行事 - 北九州市
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the dashi in its 2 forms: the banner-decorated dashi by day and the lantern-covered dashi at night.
By day, dashi bearing tall banners and decorated with embroidered curtains and other adornments parade through the area.
At night, the decorations are removed and the dashi transforms into a glowing pyramid of stacked lanterns.
At the performance competition, the dashi move forward amid chants, and dashi from each district gather in one place.
Source: 令和8年 第73回 戸畑祇󠄀園大山笠競演会 / 戸畑祇󠄀園大山笠
A festival where the banner-decorated dashi by day transforms into a pyramid of light at night
What to expect
During the event, the dashi proceeds by day with tall banners raised, and at night the lantern-covered dashi appears with different decorations.
The large dashi and the small-waka dashi appear in the performance competition, moving forward amid chants and lanterns.
In 2026, the West, East, and Nakabaru large dashi and the small-waka dashi from 4 areas were listed as scheduled to appear; Tenraiji Oyamagasa was not scheduled to operate.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
参加費：指定席1席5,500円、自由席1席4,500円。
Children aged 0 to 3 can watch for free while seated on a guardian’s lap.
対象年齢：指定席・自由席は大人・子どもの区別なし。
Children aged 0 to 3 can watch for free while seated on a guardian’s lap.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around Tobata Ward Office (Shinike 1-chome, Tobata Ward, Kitakyushu, and the area around Asō No. 1 Park).
The address is 1-1-1 Senbō, Tobata Ward, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture (in front of Tobata Ward Office).
- Train and bus
You can walk from JR Tobata Station.
There is also guidance to take a bus from Tobata Station toward Kokura and get off at “Tobata Ward Office” (temporary bus stop).
- By car
Traffic restrictions apply on the day of the performance competition.
Use of public transport is recommended.
- Parking
There is no special event parking.
Address 1-1-1 Senbō, Tobata Ward, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture (in front of Tobata Ward Office)
Dates and season
2026 Event Information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 Tobata Gion Oyamagasa event was listed as scheduled to take place over 3 days, from July 24 to July 26.
The central performance competition is scheduled for July 25 (Saturday), from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The performance competition takes place around Tobata Ward Office, where you can enjoy the banner-decorated dashi by day and the lantern-covered dashi at 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 Fukuoka Prefecture / Kitakyushu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Traffic restrictions are scheduled from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the day of the performance competition, and you must follow instructions from on-site security staff.
You may not reserve spots using mats or chairs on sidewalks or walkways around the venue.
Drone use is also prohibited.
No special event parking will be provided, so visitors are advised to use public transport.
Nearby attractions
The festival information introduces nearby attractions such as the Former Matsumoto Family Residence (Nishi-Nippon Industrial Club), the Wakatō Ferry, Wakatō Bridge, and the Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art.
Tobata Iris and Takato-yama Park are also mentioned as places connected with Tobata’s history and scenery.
If you plan to visit alongside the festival, check the opening status of each facility and the status of transport services.
Source: 户畑祇园大山笠 | 活动祭典 | VISIT FUKUOKA -福冈县旅游官网
九州鉄道記念館
北九州市にある鉄道博物館
北九州市立いのちのたび博物館
北九州市八幡東区にある博物館
北九州市立松本清張記念館
日本の文学館
北九州市立美術館
北九州市にある美術館
Mekari Shrine
北九州市門司区にある神社
小倉城
福岡県北九州市小倉北区にあった城
写真：No machine-readable author provided. Historian~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY 2.5
Photo source ·
河内藤園
福岡県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
Origins and History of Tobata Gion Oyamagasa
Tobata Gion is said to have begun in the late Edo period.
In Kyōwa 2 (1802), an epidemic spread through Tobata Village. After prayers for recovery, the epidemic subsided, and the following year, in Kyōwa 3 (1803), July, a dashi was made and dedicated to a shrine; this is said to be how the tradition began.
Since then, the tradition centered on 4 dashi has been passed down by the associated shrines and local parishioners.
Official information
Official information about Tobata Gion Oyamagasa is available on the official website of the Tobata Gion Oyamagasa Promotion Association.
Information is provided on the 2026 performance competition schedule, venue, access, traffic restrictions, and viewing seats.
The official Kitakyushu City website also provides an overview of the event, its origins, its cultural property designation, and safety information for the day.
Tobata Gion Oyamagasa at a Glance
Tobata Gion Oyamagasa is a signature Tobata tradition in which the banner-decorated dashi by day transforms into a lantern-covered dashi at night.
In 2026, the event was listed as scheduled to take place from July 24 through the 26th, with a performance competition scheduled for July 25 around Tobata Ward Office.
Traffic restrictions and rules against reserving spots apply around the venue. Please arrive by public transport and follow on-site instructions when watching the event.
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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