A valiant festival in Tomida, where boats pursue whales to the beat of drums
Tomida Whaling Boat Festival
The 2026 edition of Tomida Whaling Boat Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/09/26 〜 2026/09/27Ended
- Season / frequency
- The nearest Saturday and Sunday after September 23 / Every year
- Location
- Neighborhoods in the Tomida district around Toride Shrine
- Area
- Mie Prefecture・Yokkaichi City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 30 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
In the Tomida district of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, a unique festival has been passed down in which whaling boats pursue a whale on land. During the honneri performance dedicated at Toride Shrine, the boats and fleeing whale engage in a dramatic chase to the beat of drums and songs.
About Tomida Whaling Boat Festival
The Tomida Whaling Boat Festival is a land-based festival depicting whaling, held in the Tomida district of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
Performances in which boats pursue a whale made of papier-mâché are dedicated at Toride Shrine.
4 whaling boats go out into the neighborhood and to the shrine, and local neighborhood associations support the event.
It has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan and was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016.
Source: 富田の鯨船行事 - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the honneri performance, in which the whaling boats continue their pursuit even as the whale escapes or fights back.
The hanezashi plays the role of harpooner, while the boat repeatedly moves forward and backward to the beat of the drums.
The final act of catching and hauling in the whale is depicted with an up-and-down motion reminiscent of a bow.
This event lets you experience up close the interplay between the pursuing boat and the fleeing whale, alongside the boats adorned with ornate carvings and banners.
Source: 令和08年06月15日 記者発表資料 夏季の文化財関連イベントの開催について | 四日市市役所
A valiant festival in Tomida, where boats pursue whales to the beat of drums
What to expect
The event centers on machineri processions through the neighborhood and honneri performances dedicated at Toride Shrine.
During machineri, the boats spear the whale in front of sacred lanterns, festival officials, and places where celebratory offerings are received, among other locations. The following day, each group enters the shrine in turn.
During the honneri, the whale is speared from outside the gate, and the performance is dedicated at the main hall and a subsidiary shrine within the .
Afterward, participants also make a shrine visit, accompanied by drums and the Michiyuki Ise Ondo song.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The event takes place around Toride Shrine, in the neighborhoods of Higashi-Tomida-cho, Yokkaichi, and in the Furukawa-cho neighborhood association area.
Event venue 三重県四日市市 鳥出神社を中心とする富田地区の町内
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 Festival Information (the listed dates have passed)
It was announced that the festival was scheduled to take place over 2 days in 2026: September 26 (Saturday) and the 27th (Sunday).
In a typical year, it is held on the nearest Saturday and Sunday from September 23 onward, starting with the town procession on Saturday, followed by the main procession offered at Toride Shrine on Sunday.
Since 2025, the festival period has been moved from the traditional August to September to help prevent heatstroke amid recent years’ extreme heat.
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 Mie Prefecture / Yokkaichi City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
四日市市立博物館
三重県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
澄懐堂美術館
三重県四日市市にある美術館
鳥出神社
三重県四日市市富田にある神社
Origins and History of Tomida Whaling Boat Festival
The event was originally an autumn festival and, before the war, was held during the Gani Festival on September 23, the annual festival of Toride Shrine.
Later, it came to be held on August 14 and 15 during the Bon period, timed to coincide with the fishing season in the Tomida district.
At the festival, gestures depicting the hunt for whales, tied to the memory of this fishing town, are passed down as performances on land.
From 2025, the event shifted to being held in September as a measure to address extreme heat.
Source: 【 鳥出神社鯨船行事】鯨船行事次第
Official information
The event sequence and the roles in the performances are described on Yokkaichi City's cultural heritage webpage.
The 2026 dates are listed in Yokkaichi City's announcement of cultural heritage-related events.
Learning about the event's background and the highlights of the whaling boats before visiting will help you notice the differences between machineri and honneri.
Tomida Whaling Boat Festival at a Glance
The Tomida Whaling Boat Festival is a traditional land-based event depicting whaling, passed down in the Tomida district of Yokkaichi.
The festival features machineri processions through the neighborhood and a honneri performance at Toride Shrine, where the boats pursue and capture the whale. The story unfolds through performances accompanied by drums and songs.
In 2026, it will be held on September 26 and 27, and can be experienced as a cultural heritage event maintained by local neighborhood associations.
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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