Karatsu Kunchi Festival
Fourteen colossal lacquered floats — golden lions, samurai helmets and dragons up to 7 m tall — are dragged through town and onto a beach where they sink in sand.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/11/02 10:30 – 2026/11/04
- Where
- Karatsu Shrine and city streets / Nishinohama Beach（3-13 Minamijonai, Karatsu, Saga）
- City
- Fukuoka
- Getting there
- 10-min walk from JR Karatsu Station
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Karatsu Shrine
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- 10-min walk from JR Karatsu Station 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
Highlights
- 14 giant hikiyama floats up to 4 tons
- Nov 3 beach-pulling spectacle (Otabisho Shinko)
- Nighttime lantern-lit float parade (Nov 2)
Background & story
A UNESCO-listed autumn festival of Karatsu Shrine held for over 400 years, famed for its papier-mache-and-lacquer floats.
Good to know
The Nov 3 Otabisho beach-pulling is the must-see highlight — arrive by mid-morning.