A festival where handmade lantern floats collide in the streets of Tonami at night
Tonami Yotaka Festival
The 2026 edition of Tonami Yotaka Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/06/12 〜 2026/06/13Ended
- Season / frequency
- Second Friday and Saturday of June every year / Every year
- Location
- Tonami city center (around Honmachi Street)
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Tonami 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Red Yotaka lantern floats parade through central Tonami, followed by a lantern float competition and dramatic head-on collisions.
About Tonami Yotaka Festival
The Tonami Yotaka Festival is a rice-planting festival passed down mainly in the Demachi district of Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture.
Local residents make Yotaka lantern floats by hand and parade them, praying for abundant harvests and a rich yield of the five grains.
The large lantern floats illuminating the night sky, along with the calls and drumbeats echoing through the community, are major attractions of the festival.
Held every year on the second Friday and Saturday of June, this local event brings color to the period after rice planting.
Source: 砺波夜高祭り - Wikipedia / となみ夜高まつり - 【公式】砺波市観光サイト 砺波旅 - となたび
Festival highlights
The highlights are the lantern float competition on the first day and the tsukiawase (head-on collision) on the second day.
Yotaka lantern floats, about 6 meters tall and predominantly red, line up by neighborhood. At night, their internal lights reveal their three-dimensional designs.
During the tsukiawase, lantern floats facing each other from several dozen meters apart crash together at a signal and push against one another.
The sound of the collisions and the calls of the young leaders add to the excitement at the venue.
Source: となみ夜高まつり｜富山県砺波市
A festival where handmade lantern floats collide in the streets of Tonami at night
What to expect
The festival centers on parading the Yotaka lantern floats through the streets.
On the first day, the lantern floats gather on Honmachi Odori, where a competition is held to judge their elegance.
On the second day, the tsukiawase takes place after the lantern floats are paraded; the floats collide and push against one another.
Finally, each neighborhood holds a hand-clapping ceremony to bring the festival to a close.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Tonami city center.
The festival takes place mainly along Honmachi Street, and the map shows Honmachi, Tonami City.
- By car
Traffic restrictions are in place on the day of the collisions.
Follow directions from police officers on site and posted signs.
- Parking
Parking is prohibited anywhere other than designated parking lots.
If using Aeon Mall Tonami, park in the surface parking lot and leave by midnight.
Address Honmachi, Tonami City, Toyama Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)
The 2026 festival was scheduled to take place from June 12 (Friday) through June 13 (Saturday).
On the first day, Yotaka lantern floats are paraded and a lantern float competition is held. On the second day, the floats are paraded and the tsukiawase takes place.
In a typical year, the 2-day festival is held on the second Friday and Saturday of June.
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 / Tonami City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The town center gets crowded on the day of the clash, and traffic restrictions are enforced.
Where there is a sidewalk, use it, and follow the instructions of police officers on site and traffic signs.
Visitors are advised that no responsibility is accepted for accidents in the parking lot, so take care where you park and when you leave.
Please refrain from using drones or leaving litter behind.
Nearby attractions
となみ散居村ミュージアム
富山県砺波市にある博物館
チューリップ四季彩館
富山県砺波市にある植物園 · Museums
松村外次郎記念庄川美術館
日本の美術館
砺波市美術館
富山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
砺波郷土資料館
富山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Tonami Yotaka Festival
Yotaka culture is said to have originated in Fukuno, Nanto City. Tradition holds that lanterns were raised when a divided spirit from Ise Jingu was welcomed.
The culture spread to surrounding areas, and in Tonami it began to be held as a festival during the Taisho era.
Tonami's festival was suspended during and after the war, revived in 1949, suspended again in the 1960s, and revived once more in 1967.
Official information
Official information is available on the Tonami City tourism website and the official Tonami Yotaka Festival website.
The Tonami City tourism website lists the dates, venue, and contact information.
The official website provides an overview of the festival, safety information for the tsukiawase, and details about reserved viewing seats.
Tonami Yotaka Festival at a Glance
The Tonami Yotaka Festival is a traditional Tonami event in which locally handmade Yotaka lantern floats are paraded through the city streets at night.
At the lantern float competition on the first day, you can admire the beauty of the designs and colors. On the second day, large lantern floats collide in the tsukiawase.
The 2026 festival was scheduled for June 12 and 13, with notices about traffic restrictions and parking around the venue.
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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