Highlights
- Around 500 food and game stalls along the long approach
- Roughly one million visitors over seven days and nights
- Famous 'chanpon' glass toys and ginger sold only at this festival
Background & story
One of Fukuoka's three great festivals and over 1,000 years old, Hojoya is a rite of releasing living creatures and giving thanks for the autumn harvest while honoring all life.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Right by Hakozakimiyamae Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Hakozaki Line. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, families, food lovers
Good to know
Go after dark midweek to enjoy the lantern-lit stalls with smaller crowds than the weekend.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Hojoya 2026?
- 12-18 September 2026, seven days and seven nights. The shrine's own festival page gives 12-18 September (checked 4 September 2026), and the dates are the same every year - this is a fixed-date festival, not one that moves to a weekend. In 2026 the first two days fall on a Saturday and Sunday, so expect those, and the evenings generally, to be the most crowded.
- Is Hojoya free, and what is sold there?
- There is no admission charge; you pay the stalls. The shrine describes several hundred stalls lining its long approach. Two things are associated with this festival in particular: chanpon, a thin blown-glass toy that makes a popping sound when you blow into it, and new-crop ginger.
- How do I get to Hakozakigu Shrine?
- Hakozakimiyamae Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Hakozaki Line is right by the shrine - regional guides put it at about a 3-minute walk. The address is 1-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-0053. The subway connects directly from Hakata, Tenjin and Fukuoka Airport.
Getting there
Hakozakigu Shrine, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka — 1-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture 812-0053