Munakata Taisha Autumn Festival — Miare-sai 2026
Around 100 fishing boats escort three deities' mikoshi across the sea at this World Heritage shrine's grand autumn festival.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/10/01 09:00 – 2026/10/03
- Where
- Munakata Taisha (Hetsu-gu) and Kanezaki waters（2331 Tashima, Munakata City, Fukuoka）
- City
- Fukuoka
- Getting there
- Bus from JR Togo Station (Kagoshima Main Line) to Munakata Taisha-mae.
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Munakata Taisha
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Bus from JR Togo Station (Kagoshima Main Line) to Munakata Taisha-mae. 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
Highlights
- A flotilla of around 100 fishing boats on Oct 1
- Mikoshi of the three Munakata goddesses carried by sea
- Autumn rituals at a UNESCO World Heritage shrine
Background & story
The autumn grand festival of the UNESCO World Heritage Munakata shrines; the Miare-sai reunites the three goddesses with a spectacular sea procession of fishing boats.
Good to know
The Oct 1 morning sea procession is the highlight — reach the Kanezaki harbour area early for a viewpoint.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Munakata Taisha's Miare-sai in 2026?
- Miare-sai falls on Thursday, October 1, 2026. The festival is fixed on October 1 every year, opening Munakata Taisha's three-day Autumn Grand Festival (Oct 1-3). The sea procession, its centerpiece, takes place that morning across the Genkai Sea between Oshima and the mainland.
- Is Miare-sai free to watch?
- Yes, Miare-sai is free to watch from public viewpoints, and there is no admission fee to see the sea procession or to enter the shrine grounds. Only parking is paid. There are no tickets or on-sale dates for this festival, as of July 2026.
- Where is the best place to watch the sea procession?
- The best public viewpoint is Konominato Port (Konominato Hatoba), where the fleet passes roughly 100-150 m offshore. Hokuto-no-Mizukumi Seaside Park is an alternative vantage point for watching the full fleet pass by. From here the sacred boats arrive from Oshima before the land procession continues to Hetsu-miya, the main shrine.
- How do I get to Konominato Port for the festival?
- From JR Togo Station, take the Nishitetsu bus bound for Konominato Hatoba (about 20 minutes) to reach the port. Togo Station is on the JR Kagoshima Line, roughly 25-30 minutes from Hakata Station. Paid parking near the Konominato terminal runs 200-300 yen for 12 hours, as of July 2026.
- What actually happens during the sea procession?
- A fleet of about 100 fishing boats from Munakata's seven fishing ports, decked with tairyo-bata (large-catch flags), escorts two sacred vessels carrying the goddesses across the Genkai Sea. The boats depart Oshima Port and cross to Konominato Port on the mainland, from where a land procession continues to the main shrine, Hetsu-miya.
- What time does the sea procession run?
- Based on the 2025 program, the fleet leaves Oshima Port around 9:30, reaches the offshore mooring point about 10:20, and arrives at Konominato Port around 10:40, followed by a dockside ceremony at about 10:50 and a land procession reaching Hetsu-miya near noon. Exact 2026 times are not yet officially confirmed as of July 2026; check the shrine or city site closer to the date.