Karatsu Kunchi: Karatsu's Hikiyama Festival with 400 Years of History

"Karatsu Kunchi (the Autumn Grand Festival of Karatsu Shrine)," held at Karatsu Shrine in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, every year from November 2 to 4, is an autumn festival representative of Kyushu with about 400 years of history. "Kunchi" is a word used in northern Kyushu for a festival giving thanks for the autumn harvest, and this one is known alongside Hakata Okunchi and Nagasaki Kunchi. The sight of 14 dazzlingly gorgeous hikiyama floats, lavishly finished in lacquer, gold and silver, parading through the castle town is overwhelming. The festival is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Karatsu Kunchi: One of Kyushu's Three Great Festivals with 400 Years of History

"Karatsu Kunchi (Karatsu Shrine Autumn Grand Festival)" held at "Karatsu Shrine" in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, annually on November 2–4, is one of "Kyushu's Three Great Festivals" alongside Hakata Gion Yamakasa and Nagasaki Kunchi. The current format began in 1819 (Bunsei 2), also registered as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Giant Lacquered Floats Known as "Yama"

The stars of Karatsu Kunchi are, above all, the 14 hikiyama known as "Yama." They are giant sculpted forms shaped as lions, sea bream, helmets, dragons, phoenixes and more, weighing 2 to 3 tons, with some exceeding 6 meters in height. Built by the traditional technique of layering hundreds of sheets of washi paper and finishing them with lacquer and gold and silver leaf, their precision and splendor have been the pride of the townspeople since the Edo period. Each hikiyama is owned by its own neighborhood and has been carefully handed down across the generations.

The Climax of the Festival: "Otabisho Shinko"

The greatest spectacle of the festival is the "Otabisho Shinko" held on November 3. The "hikikomi," in which the pullers known as hikiko drag the heavy floats onto the sandy ground toward the Otabisho with cries of "Enya, Enya," is the hardest passage, where the wheels sink into the sand, and it unfolds as a contest of strength with each neighborhood's prestige on the line. The bold music of flutes, drums and bells, and the fervor of the hikiko in matching happi coats, draw the spectators in as well.

Festival Schedule

At the "Yoi Hikiyama" on November 2, 14 hikiyama parade through the nighttime Karatsu streets illuminated by lanterns. November 3's "Otabisho Shinko" is the biggest highlight, with the portable shrine and hikiyama all together parading from Karatsu Shrine to the otabisho (temporary resting place).

Hikiyama Exhibition Facility

At the "Karatsu Kunchi Hikiyama Exhibition Hall (Hikiyama Storage)" all 14 hikiyama can be viewed up close even on ordinary days (paid).

Best Season and Access

Karatsu Kunchi is a festival limited to the three days of November 2 to 4, and in this period several hundred thousand visitors come from all over Japan. On ordinary days you can view the actual floats at any time at the "Hikiyama Exhibition Hall" in Karatsu City, so you can experience their power even outside the festival season. For access, it is about a 10-minute walk from "Karatsu Station" on the JR Chikuhi Line and Karatsu Line to Karatsu Shrine. The Chikuhi Line runs through from the Fukuoka City Subway Kuko Line, so access from the Hakata direction is good as well. Traffic restrictions are in place during the festival, so using public transportation is recommended.

Practical Information on the Festival

• Dates: November 2, 3 (a national holiday) and 4 every year. In 2026 these fall on Monday, November 2, Tuesday, November 3 (holiday) and Wednesday, November 4
• November 2, Yoi Yama, 19:30–22:10: Six floats depart from Oteguchi and parade the old castle town while the remaining eight join in from their neighborhoods, ending at the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall. It is a magical night when all 14, lit by lanterns, come together
• November 3, Otabisho Shinko, 9:30–16:15: At around 5 a.m. the lion dance "Kanda Kabukabu Jishi" is dedicated within the precinct of Karatsu Shrine. The Otabisho hikikomi (at Nishi-no-Hama) begins at noon, and the Otabisho hikidashi begins at 15:00. This is the greatest spectacle, when the floats are hauled onto the sand
• November 4, Yokujitsusai, 10:00–16:40: Assembly on Komeyamachi-dori at 12:00 / departure at 14:30. Karatsu Shrine – old castle town – Hikiyama Exhibition Hall
• *All the times above are the departure, passing and arrival times of the No. 1 float, "Aka-jishi" (the Red Lion). It takes about 50 minutes for all 14 floats to pass.*
• Venues: Around Karatsu Shrine (3-13 Minamijonai, Karatsu City), the old castle town (about 8 km east to west), the Otabisho at Nishi-no-Hama, and the Hikiyama Exhibition Hall
• Municipal paid parking: Higashijonai, 194 spaces (24 hours) / former Takatori Residence, 82 spaces (6:00–22:00, exit possible 24 hours) / Minamijonai, 148 spaces (7:30–22:00, exit possible 24 hours) / Zaimokumachi, 98 spaces (24 hours; as it faces the float parade route, entry and exit are restricted during certain hours)
• Temporary free parking: Matsuura Riverside Park, 1,470 spaces / beside Mercure Saga Karatsu Resort, 300 spaces / the riverbed in front of the same, 300 spaces / Matsuura River Sports Ground, 700 spaces (9:00–17:30; on November 2, 17:00–22:30). On November 3 and 4, the Water Treatment Center ground (120 spaces) and Sante parking (150 spaces) are also opened, and on November 3 only, the Hokamachi Elementary School ground (120 spaces) and Nagamatsu Elementary School ground (200 spaces) as well
• Shuttle buses: No shuttle buses run between the parking lots and the venue. Please plan on the assumption that you will walk
• Temporary information booths: November 2, beside Higo-bori (east side of the city hall) / November 3, beside Higo-bori and at the Otabisho (former Taisei Elementary School) / November 4, beside Higo-bori
• Official notes for watching safely: Entry onto the parade route is prohibited. Do not approach the floats or their ropes, and do not walk alongside a float or behind one (directly behind a float interferes with steering). Corners are especially dangerous, so leave the parade route wide open. The hikiko come running spread across the full width of the road, so do not lean out from the sidewalk. Sitting down on the road to watch, using selfie sticks, and flying drones on the parade route or around Karatsu Shrine are prohibited
• Note on rail travel: Transit IC cards cannot be used on the Karatsu Line (Karatsu Station to Kubota Station) or the Chikuhi Line (Yamamoto Station to Imari Station). Please purchase paper tickets

*The parking information above is based on Karatsu City's most recent official guidance (2025). For details of the 2026 traffic restrictions and parking, please check the official websites of Karatsu City and the Karatsu Tourism Association as the dates approach.*

(Sources: Karatsu City official website, Karatsu Tourism Association)