🏮 Okiba Suitengu Sai

沖端水天宮祭

Yanagawa, Fukuoka (Okibata Suitengu Shrine) · Every year on 3 May

Traditional performing artsFood stalls

231 days to go
Rooms around Yanagawa, Fukuoka fill up while the festival is on.

The Okibata Suitengu Festival is held every year during Golden Week around Suitengu Shrine in Okibata, a port town in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture. It is a traditional Yanagawa festival praying for protection from drowning. Symbolizing the culture of this canal town, the event turns the surrounding area into a pedestrian zone for three days and draws many tourists and worshippers. The festival's most distinctive feature is the Mikami-maru, a floating stage made by linking six boats together. On this stage floating on the moat, Suitengu hayashi music, plays, and other performances are presented, letting visitors experience Yanagawa's unique culture on the water. At night, lanterns are lit, and the light swaying on the water's surface creates a magical atmosphere. Food stalls line the area around the venue, and visitors can enjoy eating as they walk. At Suitengu Shrine, gourd-shaped charms are given out for protection from drowning and for good health, and they are popular as travel mementos or as prayers for safety.