Highlights
- Kite-fighting battles between ~170 districts
- Illuminated palace-style floats at night
- Held every May 3–5, drawing ~1 million visitors
Background & story
Said to trace back to a 16th-century kite raised to celebrate a feudal lord's child, it is now Hamamatsu's great citizens' festival.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Bus from JR Hamamatsu Station to the Nakatajima dunes; floats parade near the station at night. 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, groups of friends
Good to know
See the kite battles by day at the dunes, then the lit floats downtown at night — they're at different venues.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Hamamatsu Matsuri 2027?
- Hamamatsu Matsuri is held every year on May 3, 4 and 5 (all national holidays), so the 2027 edition falls on Mon May 3 – Wed May 5, 2027. Check the official site (hamamatsu-daisuki.net/matsuri/) for the 2027 schedule once it is posted (verified 2026-10-11).
- Where is it held? Are the kites and the floats at the same place?
- There are two venues. The daytime kite battles take place at the Nakatajima Kite Venue on the Nakatajima Sand Dunes; the evening palace-float (goten-yatai) parades run through central Hamamatsu near the station, along streets such as Kajimachi-dori. You will need to move between them.
- How do I get from Hamamatsu Station to the kite venue?
- During the festival, direct shuttle buses run from Hamamatsu Station and the temporary Iida Park parking lot to the Nakatajima Kite Venue (as operated in 2025 and 2026). At night the float parades are within walking distance of Hamamatsu Station. Confirm 2027 bus times and fares in the official site's news section.
- What happens if it rains?
- Parts of the festival may be cancelled in bad weather. Go/no-go decisions are made on the day, around 7:30 a.m. for the kite battles and 3:00 p.m. for the float parades, and are announced on the Hamamatsu Matsuri Navi Dial (0570-064-736, Japanese) per the 2026 notice (verified 2026-10-11).
- What are the highlights?
- By day, more than 170 neighborhoods fly kites in a battle that starts with the hatsudako (first kites honoring newborn firstborns) and turns into a string-cutting fight. By night, more than 80 lantern-lit palace floats parade through downtown, a citizens' festival unique to Hamamatsu.
Getting there
Nakatajima Sand Dunes (kite battles) and downtown Hamamatsu (float parade) — Nakatajima-cho, Chuo-ku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka