Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri

About the festival

Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri is held twice a year in Kishiwada, Osaka, in September and October, and is known as one of the most physically intense festivals in Japan. Teams pull wooden danjiri floats, weighing several tonnes each, through the streets at high speed, with a team leader standing on the roof of the float to direct the run.

The festival's signature moment is the yarimawashi, a sharp cornering manoeuvre performed at speed without slowing the float down, requiring precise coordination among the pulling team. Injuries are not uncommon, and the festival has a reputation for its intensity even among Japan's many float-pulling traditions.

The main September festival takes place around Kishiwada Castle, with an eve of festival on 19 September, from 6am to 10pm, and the main festival on 20 September, from 9am to 10pm. A second, smaller festival follows in October, with its own eve and main day.

The 2026 September festival runs from 19 to 20 September.