A traditional Uozu festival where lantern light and the spirit of a port town race across the night sky
Uozu Tatemon Festival
The 2026 edition of Uozu Tatemon Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/07 〜 2026/08/08Ended
- Season / frequency
- The first Friday and Saturday of August each year / Every year
- Location
- Around Suwa Shrine
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Uozu 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
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Paid viewing seats: ¥3,000 per person per seat (tax included)
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Boat-shaped tatemon lit with lanterns are pulled into Suwa Shrine and spun spectacularly within its grounds, making this a signature summer festival in Uozu.
About Uozu Tatemon Festival
The Uozu Tatemon Festival is a major summer festival in Uozu, held to coincide with the annual festival of Suwa Shrine.
Prayers are offered for a good catch and safe voyages and fishing operations, as 7 boat-shaped creations called “tatemon” are pulled out from the ’ neighborhoods.
The sight of lantern-lit tatemon entering the shrine at night and turning within its grounds reflects the faith of this port town and the strength of its community.
The event is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the “turning dedication,” in which the wheelless tatemon is spun vigorously within the grounds of Suwa Shrine.
A boat-shaped lantern float, with more than 90 lanterns arranged in a triangle on a central mast about 16 meters high, lights up the night sky to the sound of flutes, drums, and young people’s shouts.
As it turns, young people holding the support ropes run along with it, creating a powerful spectacle in which the lantern light and vigorous movement come together.
Source: 【公式】魚津市観光案内公式サイト ｜ うおっ！な魚津旅情報＠北陸・魚津 魚津ライブラリ／たてもん祭り
A traditional Uozu festival where lantern light and the spirit of a port town race across the night sky
What to expect
For the event, each neighborhood assembles its tatemon, lights the lanterns, and pulls it into Suwa Shrine.
To the sound of flutes and drums, a large group of pullers moves the heavy tatemon, which is then spun within the shrine grounds after entering the shrine.
Once the spinning is over, a representative offers heihaku (ritual offerings) before the altar, and the tatemon returns to its neighborhood.
The participants are mainly young people from the local community, and women also take part today.
How to take part
General visitors can watch the festival.
Ways to help with the event operations include joining the “Uozu Festival Support Group” or volunteering as a puller, with tasks such as assembling the tatemon, raising it, pulling or carrying it, and dismantling it.
Participation on only the days you are available is also offered, but support group members are required to participate at least 2 times.
If you want to help with the event operations, check recruitment information for the Uozu Festival Support Group or puller volunteers.
In 2026, paid viewing seats were available by advance reservation on a first-come, first-served basis, and no same-day sales were planned.
Requirements differ for general attendance, volunteering with event operations, and paid viewing seats, so apply according to the type of participation you want.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around Suwa Shrine (1-16 Suwamachi, Uozu City).
The Tatemon Festival is held at Suwa Shrine.
- Train and bus
It is a 10-minute taxi ride from Uozu Station on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway, or a 20-minute walk from Dentetsu-Uozu Station on the Toyama Chihō Railway.
In 2026, a free shuttle bus also ran from the seaside rotary at Uozu Station.
- By car
About 15 minutes by car from Uozu IC.
Traffic restrictions are in place around the venue during the festival, with roads closed to vehicles from the evening.
- Parking
Designated parking lots were listed at Uozu City Hall, Ariso Dome, the Water Reclamation Center, and other locations.
Parking is limited, and available hours vary by parking lot.
Address 1-16 Suwamachi, Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
The event was scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. on August 7 (Friday) and August 8 (Saturday) in 2026.
The venue was Suwa Shrine, with nighttime processions scheduled for both days.
The event on August 8, 2026 (Saturday) is listed as “canceled” in the general information.
The event was listed as canceled in case of rain. The decision time was given as 16:00, with a final update by 18:00.
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 / Uozu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
As the event takes place at night, it is a good idea to find a spot early where you can see the lanterns and the turning procession clearly.
Roads around the venue are closed to vehicles from the evening, so if you are driving, check traffic restrictions and the parking lot’s hours of operation.
Public and portable toilets are listed near the venue, but it is recommended that you use them early during expected busy periods.
The event is listed as canceled in case of rain.
Nearby attractions
As festival-related exhibits, scaled-down tatemon are permanently displayed at Ariso Dome and Niikawa Cultural Hall in Uozu.
This display differs from the actual festival floats, but it is a place where you can take a closer look at their structure and decorations.
During the 2026 Uozu Festival period, nearby events included the Uozu Fireworks Display at Sea, UO!JAZZ, and the Uozu Candle Road.
These are separate events from the Tatemon Festival, so check their venues and times separately.
ミラージュランド
富山県魚津市にある遊園地
Suwa Shrine
魚津市にある神社
魚津埋没林博物館
富山県魚津市にある博物館
魚津水族館
富山県魚津市にある水族館
Origins and History of Uozu Tatemon Festival
The origins of the event are said to be unclear, but it is said that during the Edo period, each neighborhood hung lanterns from a platform and carried it around the neighborhood.
The number of lanterns later increased to 25 during the Meiji period and about 50 around the beginning of the Taisho period, and the event developed into its present large-scale form.
It was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1997, and in 2016 it was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list as one of the “Yama, Hoko, , float festivals in Japan.”
Official information
Event information is available in the “Jantokoi Uozu Festival General Information” section of the official Uozu City Tourism Information website.
An overview and history of the cultural property are also available in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties.
The Uozu Tatemon Preservation Society is listed as the organizing body.
Uozu Tatemon Festival at a Glance
The Uozu Tatemon Festival is a Suwa Shrine festival held to pray for a good catch and safety at sea.
The dramatic dedication of pulling 7 boat-shaped tatemon adorned with lanterns and spinning them within the shrine grounds is a signature scene of the nighttime festival.
This local cultural tradition is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
A schedule was posted for August 7 and 8 in 2026, but August 8 was listed as canceled.
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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