Ohara Matsuri: Kagoshima Biggest Autumn Dance Parade

For two days every November, Tenmonkan, the entertainment quarter at the heart of Kagoshima City, becomes the loudest place in southern Kyushu. Ohara Matsuri began in 1949 to mark the 60th anniversary of the modern city and is now the largest festival in the region. The stage is a straight 1,480 metre stretch of tram street from Takamibaba through Izuro to Sanbashi-dori, and along it dancers in the tens of thousands move in formation to shamisen and drums. The evening festival on 2 November and the main festival on 3 November feel quite different.

The Main Festival Fills the Street

The main festival on 3 November runs from about 10:20 to 15:25 in four parts: the first and third are the mass dance with a competition of women drumming groups, the second marching bands, the fourth a dance number written for the festival.

The heart of it is the mass dance. Dancers move in units called odori ren, formed by neighbourhood association, workplace or school, passing in front of you for hours. The choreography is shared, but the costumes and the intensity are not, and that contrast is what makes it fun to watch. Older dancers with towels tied round their heads are followed by young employees in matching shirts, bouncing on every beat, while the shamisen rings off the buildings on both sides.

Lanterns and the Flower Tram

The night festival on 2 November runs from about 18:50 to 20:30. The programme is simpler, only the mass dance and the drumming competition, but the atmosphere is denser. Paper lanterns hang along the street, and with the food stall lights the dancers faces are lit orange from below.

The signature sight is the hanadensha, a flower tram decorated with LEDs that rolls slowly down the line and draws a ripple of noise from the crowd. The November air is cold, yet when a dance group passes you feel a wave of heat come off it.

Where the Ohara Song Comes From

Ohara Bushi, the song at the centre of the festival, is said to derive from a tune sung in camp by warriors of Hyuga Province in the early Edo period. Samurai from the Harara district of Kagoshima wrote lyrics after returning home, and as the song spread the place name became Ohara. The festival also uses Kagoshima Hanya Bushi and a piece tied to Shibuya in Tokyo, where a sister event has been held on a mid May weekend since 1998.

Tips for Visiting

The best way to enjoy Ohara Matsuri is to stop watching and start dancing. An open group welcomes anyone on the spot, and free choreography workshops are held beforehand with no reservation needed.

If you prefer to watch, the route is a long straight line, so spots away from the busiest part of Tenmonkan are easier for getting to the front. November days are mild but evenings turn cold, so bring a layer for the night festival. Traffic restrictions are extensive and tram services affected, so check operating information first. For a break, duck into the covered arcades of Tenmonkan, where restaurants serving Kagoshima black pork and satsuma-age fish cakes are a short walk away.

Getting There

The venue runs alongside the Takamibaba, Tenmonkan-dori, Izuro-dori and Sanbashi-dori tram stops, about 10 minutes by tram from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station. Access could hardly be simpler. On both days, though, traffic restrictions cover the tram street during the dancing and services are affected on part of the line, so plan around public transport and walking.

Practical Information

• Dates: 2 November (evening festival) and 3 November (main festival) every year
• Venue: the tram street around Tenmonkan, Kagoshima City, about 1,480 metres from Takamibaba through Izuro to Sanbashi-dori
• Times: evening festival about 18:50 to 20:30; main festival about 10:20 to 15:25
• Enquiries: Ohara Matsuri Promotion Association, c/o Kagoshima City Tourism Promotion Division, 099-216-1327
• Access: at the Tenmonkan-dori and Izuro-dori tram stops, about 10 minutes by tram from JR Kagoshima Chuo Station
• Parking: traffic restrictions cover the area; use public transport
• Taking part: an open dance group welcomes anyone; free workshops beforehand
• Official website: https://www.kagoshima-yokanavi.jp/event/10001

* Dates, details and prices are subject to change. Please check the official website before you go.

(Sources: Kagoshima City official website, Kagoshima City official tourism website, Kagoshima Prefecture official tourism website, Shibuya Kagoshima Ohara Festival official website)