Held annually from October 7 to 9 in central Nagasaki City, the Nagasaki Kunchi Festival (長崎くんち) is a multi-day celebration of Suwa Shrine that honors the city’s guardian deity.

The festival originated in 1634 and features a vibrant mix of Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch traditions—showcasing the port city’s multicultural heritage. Beautifully decorated umbrella floats (kasaboko), dragon and lion dances, boat-shaped floats, and more transform the city’s center into a massive festival. About five to seven groups representing Nagasaki’s numerous districts perform annually. Incredibly, each district only participates once every seven years.

The majority of performances are held at four main venues: Suwa Shrine, Otabisho, Yasaka Shrine, and Chuo Koen. All of these spots offer advanced-reservation tickets for paid seating, which are must-buys if you want a decent view. However, these tickets sell out extremely fast. You can still catch glimpses of the action without a ticket, but the areas become crowded quite early. Aside from these main venues, you can also watch performances at a few other city locations, with no tickets required. You can also observe performers and floats as they travel through the city streets.

In between performances, be sure to grab a festival treat from the city’s many food stalls!

Please visit Nagasaki Kunchi Festival’s homepage for specific information about the festival schedule and performances.