Hana-ogi fans and Kangen boats create an elegant scene on Nara's Sarusawa Pond beneath the moon
Uneme Festival
The 2026 edition of Uneme Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/09/24 〜 2026/09/25Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year, on the night of the harvest moon / Every year
- Location
- Uneme Shrine (by Sarusawa Pond)
- Area
- Nara Prefecture・Nara City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h–3 h 30 min · 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- No admission fee is listed. The chigo participation fee is 7,000 yen per person, and the Tenpyo-period costume participation plan costs 8,500 yen.
- Age restrictions
- Chigo participants must be aged 3 through Grade 3.
- Required number of participants
- The Tenpyo costume participation plan is limited to 18 people.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
An annual festival in Nara City, set against the legend of the Uneme, featuring the Hana-Ogi Dedication Procession and the Kangen Boat Ceremony on Sarusawa Pond.
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Degueulasse File:Uneme Matsuri Festival 2015092702.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: Kochizufan File:Uneme Matsuri boats Nara.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: 663highland File:170930 Sarusawaike Nara Japan02s3.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo by 663highland 投稿者自身による著作物Display size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.About Uneme Festival
The Uneme Festival is an annual festival held at Uneme Shrine in Nara City on the night of the harvest moon.
It is said to have begun as a way to console the spirit of an uneme who threw herself into Sarusawa Pond during the Nara period.
Today, it continues as an event to put the spirit of the uneme to rest and pray for people's happiness.
Uneme Shrine is a subsidiary shrine of Kasuga Taisha, located on the shore of Sarusawa Pond.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the dedication procession, in which people in period costumes carry a hana-ogi fan through the city, and the Kangen Boat Ceremony around Sarusawa Pond.
The procession is adorned with a hana-ogi fan about 2 meters tall, decorated with autumn flowers, and a hana-ogi bearer in a twelve-layered kimono riding in a ceremonial ox-drawn carriage.
At night, 2 boats with dragon-head and phoenix-neck figureheads glide among floating lanterns to the sound of gagaku court music. Finally, the hana-ogi fan is thrown into the pond.
Source: 〈終了しました〉奈良の秋のお祭り「采女祭」2026｜特集｜奈良市観光協会公式サイト
Hana-ogi fans and Kangen boats create an elegant scene on Nara's Sarusawa Pond beneath the moon
What to expect
The program begins with the Yoimiya Festival, followed by the Hana-Ogi Dedication Procession, the Hana-Ogi dedication ceremony at Uneme Shrine, and the Kangen Boat Ceremony on Sarusawa Pond.
In 2026, the procession traveled from JR Nara Station to Uneme Shrine, where a shinobue flute performance was dedicated after the religious rites.
Finally, the hana-ogi fan is thrown from a boat into the pond as a prayer for the spirit of the Uneme to rest in peace.
How to take part
The general public can watch the procession, religious rites, and the Kangen Boat Ceremony on Sarusawa Pond.
In 2026, opportunities to join the procession included a call for children to participate as chigo and a reservation-only plan to take part wearing Tenpyo-period costumes.
Children aged 3 through Grade 3 are eligible to participate as chigo (festival children), and the costume participation plan has a limited capacity.
In 2026, children wishing to participate as chigo registered by filling out an application form and paying the participation fee at the Nara City Tourism Association office.
Applications were accepted from August 3 to September 7. Applications by phone and bank transfer were not accepted.
The plan to participate in Tenpyo-period costume requires a separate reservation. Same-day registration at the venue and participation without a reservation are not available.
Source: 天平衣装を着て采女祭に参加しよう！ | 奈良市観光体験予約サイト
Location and access
- Venue and address
Uneme Shrine (by Sarusawa Pond), Tarui-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture 630-8218.
The procession travels from JR Nara Station to Uneme Shrine, and the Kangen Boat Ceremony takes place on Sarusawa Pond.
- Train and bus
About a 5-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and about a 15-minute walk from JR Nara Station.
Visitors are advised to use public transportation to reach the venue.
Address Tarui-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture 630-8218
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the Yoimiya Festival was held on September 24, and the annual festival was held on September 25.
On the day of the annual festival, the Hana-Ogi Dedication Procession was scheduled for 5 p.m., the Hana-Ogi dedication ceremony for 6 p.m., the shinobue flute dedication performance for around 6:45 p.m., and the Kangen Boat Ceremony for 7 p.m.
The Uneme Festival is held every year on the night of the harvest moon.
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 Nara Prefecture / Nara City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The Kangen Boat Ceremony takes place at night on Sarusawa Pond, where many people gather to watch from around the pond.
If you plan to watch everything from the procession through the boat ceremony, it is a good idea to plan your route from JR Nara Station to Uneme Shrine and then on to the Sarusawa Pond area.
The program may change depending on circumstances. In 2026, the costume participation plan included a route of about 3 kilometers on foot.
Nearby attractions
Around the venue, you can enjoy Sarusawa Pond itself as part of your visit to the festival.
Sarusawa Pond is a pond in Nara Park with a circumference of about 360 meters, known for views of the five-story pagoda of Kofukuji reflected in the water alongside willow trees.
Nearby are Kofukuji, Gangoji, and the shops of Naramachi, as well as restaurants serving Nara specialties such as kakinoha-zushi and tea porridge.
中野美術館
奈良県奈良市にある美術館
依水園
奈良県奈良市にある日本庭園
写真：Kimon Berlin ( Gribeco ) / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source ·
入江泰𠮷記念奈良市写真美術館
奈良県奈良市にある美術館
吉城園
奈良県奈良市の日本庭園
大和文華館
日本の私立美術館
奈良公園
奈良市の公園
奈良国立博物館
奈良市にある国立博物館
奈良市史料保存館
奈良県奈良市にある博物館
奈良県立美術館
奈良県奈良市にある美術館
寧楽美術館
奈良県奈良市にある博物館
平城京左京三条二坊宮跡庭園
奈良県奈良市三条大路にある庭園遺構
手向山八幡宮
奈良県奈良市にある神社
Origins and History of Uneme Festival
The Uneme Festival is associated with the legend of an uneme recorded in The Tales of Yamato, a collection of poetic tales from the mid-Heian period.
It is said that during the Nara period, an uneme threw herself into Sarusawa Pond in grief over losing the emperor's favor, and a shrine was built to console her spirit.
According to legend, Uneme Shrine faces away from the pond because the uneme could not bear to look at it and changed the shrine's orientation overnight.
Official information
Event information and participation opportunities are available on the official Nara City Tourism Association website.
Information is provided on the festival venue, the 2026 schedule, the procession and Kangen Boat Ceremony, and access.
Phone numbers for inquiries to the Uneme Festival Preservation Society and the Nara City Tourism Association are also provided.
Uneme Festival at a Glance
The Uneme Festival is an annual festival in Nara City held to console the spirit of the Uneme and pray for people's happiness.
Highlights include a period-costume procession carrying hana-ogi fans, religious rites at Uneme Shrine, and boats circling Sarusawa Pond to the sound of gagaku court music.
In 2026, the festival was held on September 24 and the 25th. The venue is within walking distance of Kintetsu Nara Station and JR Nara Station.
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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