Niihama Taiko Festival: One of Shikoku's Three Great Festivals - The Power of the "Fight Festival"

Niihama Taiko Festival: An Intense Festival of Shikoku's Three Great Festivals

The Niihama Taiko Festival held in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, from October 16–18 every year is one of "Shikoku's Three Great Festivals" alongside the Kochi Yosakoi Festival and Tokushima Awa Odori. In the "kaki-kurabe (taiko-dai carrying competition)," 150 young men compete carrying enormous taiko-dai floats decorated with gold and silver thread, approximately 3 tons in weight and approximately 5.4 meters tall.

What is a Taiko-dai?

A taiko-dai is a type of festival float lavishly decorated with gold thread, silver thread, and embroidery. Each district applies elaborate decorations with unique ingenuity, and the "kaki-kurabe" is a competition of pride and weight. The festival is large-scale with each district in Niihama City fielding over 30 taiko-dai.

Origin of "Fight Festival"

The "kaki-kurabe" where taiko-dai from different districts approach and compete intensely, sometimes colliding, is called the "Fight Festival." In reality, it is a serious competition of each district's pride, with the power to excite spectators.

Niihama Industrial Tourism

Niihama City is an industrial city that formerly prospered through Besshi Copper Mine (Meiji–Showa period). At "Mine Topia Besshi" (tourist facility of the former Besshi Copper Mine), the history of the copper mine and industrial heritage can be learned.

Access

Nearest station is JR Niihama Station. Approximately 1 hour from Takamatsu city by limited express, approximately 30–40 minutes from Matsuyama city by limited express.

Practical Information for the Festival

• Dates: "Iyokan Net," the official Ehime Prefecture tourism site, gives the dates as 15-18 October in a normal year. The confirmed dates for 2026 had not been published officially when this article was written, so please check the Niihama City official website for the latest information
• Venue: the whole of Niihama City (each district holds its events in a different place). The kakikurabe face-offs take place at venues such as Yamane Ground (the combined gathering for the Jobu district) and Ikku-no-Mori
• Access: about 30 minutes by car from the Niihama IC, or about 30 minutes by bus or taxi from JR Niihama Station
• Free shuttle bus: to coincide with the combined gathering at Yamane Ground in the Jobu district, a free shuttle bus runs as required between the south exit of Niihama Station and Yamane Ground from 10:30 to 17:30
• Parking: because each district holds its events in a different place, visitors are directed to contact the Niihama City Tourism and Products Section
• Paid seating: there are spectator seats at Yamane Ground and sajiki tiered seats at Ikku-no-Mori. Online reservations are open for the "Niihama Taiko Festival sajiki seat ticket" (an Ehime DMO exclusive, with a coupon and a souvenir); applications close on 30 September 2026 (enquiries: Ehime Prefecture Tourism and Products Association, tel 089-961-4500)
• Traffic restrictions: there are traffic restrictions around the kakikurabe venues because of congestion. Roads are busy throughout the festival and you may arrive at each venue later than planned, so allow plenty of time
• A useful official tool: a web app called "Dondoko" shows the current position of each taiko-dai in real time, which helps if you want to follow the floats as they move around the city

Note: the 2026 dates and times, the number of parking spaces and charges, the price of the sajiki seats, which food stalls will open and what happens in wet weather are not published officially.

(Source: Niihama City official website; Iyokan Net, the official Ehime Prefecture tourism site)