Yae Ganguen Festival

Festival highlights

A highlight is the ganguen boat: a boat-shaped float built around a bamboo frame, draped with curtains, and lit with red and white lanterns.

Young men inside the boat use poles to move the wheels up, down, and sideways, making the entire float sway dramatically as if drifting among the waves.

In recent years, three boats—Shinchi-maru, Tokaichi-maru, and Arita-maru—have appeared, followed by a children’s music group singing in chorus.

Source: 八重管絃祭 文化遺産オンライン

A summer festival in Kitahiroshima, with lantern-lit boats swaying along old roads

What to expect

At the festival, the three elaborately decorated land boats—Shinchi-maru, Tokaichi-maru, and Arita-maru—parade along the old roads centered on Yae Shopping Street.

Inside the boat-shaped floats, young men use poles to rock the wheels, making the floats look like boats floating on waves.

A children’s music group follows behind, singing in chorus.

Information indicates that stages featuring singing and dancing, as well as a food and drink bazaar, are also held around the venue.

Source: 八重管絃祭 | 山県郡北広島町 | 子供とお出かけ情報「いこーよ」

How to take part

A children’s music group marches behind the boats, with children playing a part in the festival.

This is a festival mainly enjoyed by watching; you can visit the parade, stage performances, and bazaar.

Location and access

Venue and address

Around 1532 Arita, Kitahiroshima, centered on Yae Shopping Street.

By car

About 10 minutes from Chiyoda IC on the Chugoku Expressway.

Parking

Parking is listed as “none.”

Address 1532 Arita, Kitahiroshima, Yamagata District, Hiroshima Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)

In 2026, the festival was scheduled to take place on July 25 (Saturday), from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Yae Shopping Street.

The event date falls on the last Saturday of July, and ganguen boats parade along the old road at night.

According to the 2026 information, this event has ended.

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Tips for your visit

The festival takes place at night on old roads and shopping streets. When watching the ganguen boat parade, please avoid obstructing pedestrians or the floats.

The available information indicates that the venue spans multiple areas, so checking in advance where you want to watch or which stage you want to visit can make it easier to get around.

If you plan to arrive by car, note that no parking is listed, so you will need to plan your transportation in advance.

Details may change due to weather or circumstances on the organizer’s side.

Origins and History of Yae Ganguen Festival

The background of the Yae Ganguen Festival includes the relationship between Mibu-no-sho, which included Arita in Kitahiroshima, and Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine.

In the late Heian period, this area became an estate of Itsukushima Shrine. The festival is said to have been a rite for Arita Kawamoto Myojin, a shrine believed to have been established as a branch of Itsukushima Shrine during the Kamakura period.

Later, the festival changed in form as roads opened and new urban areas developed, and it has been passed down as the ganguen boats that now travel on land.

Official information

The “Intangible Folk Cultural Properties” section of the Kitahiroshima Town website provides information on when the Yae Ganguen Festival is held, the area covered by the venue, its historical background, and its cultural property designation.

The Cultural Heritage Online website also describes the structure of the ganguen boats and how they proceed in procession.

The event information lists the 2026 festival hours as 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Yae Ganguen Festival at a Glance

The Yae Ganguen Festival is a traditional nighttime event in which boat-shaped floats decorated with red and white lanterns travel along the old roads of Kitahiroshima.

Three boats—Shinchi-maru, Tokaichi-maru, and Arita-maru—and a children’s music group bring the festival to life on local streets.

The festival has been passed down against the backdrop of its historic connection with Itsukushima Shrine, while adapting to changes in roads and the townscape.

In 2026, it was held on July 25.