Hakata Gion Yamakasa

About the festival

Hakata Gion Yamakasa is a 770-year-old festival held in Fukuoka every July, centred on Kushida Shrine. Teams of men in traditional loincloths carry yamakasa, decorated wooden floats weighing around a tonne, through the streets at speed, a stark contrast to the slower float-pulling seen at many other Japanese festivals.

The festival builds over two weeks, with smaller kazariyamakasa floats displayed around the city before the main event. The climax is the Oiyama race on the final morning, when teams race a set course through Hakata carrying their floats, competing for the fastest time.

The Oiyama race begins sharply at 4:59am on the morning of 15 July, and visitors wanting to watch it need to plan for a very early start. Road closures affect much of central Hakata during this period, so checking the route in advance is worth doing.

The 2027 festival is expected to run from 1 to 15 July, following the festival's traditional annual dates, with the Oiyama race on the morning of 15 July.