🏮 Ushibuka Haiya Sai

牛深ハイヤ祭

Ushibuka, Kumamoto (Amakusa Ushibuka Central District) · Every year in early April

Bon odoriTraditional performing arts

206 days to go
Rooms around Ushibuka, Kumamoto fill up while the festival is on.

The Ushibuka Haiya Festival is held in spring in Ushibuka, Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and centers on the local traditional performing art known as the Ushibuka Haiya bushi. The venue is the central district of Ushibuka Town, and the festival is organized by the Ushibuka Haiya Festival Executive Committee. It is familiar to the local community as an event that keeps alive the "original Haiya bushi," regarded as the root of Haiya-style folk songs found in 40 places nationwide. The Ushibuka Haiya bushi, the source of this festival, is said to have been born in the late Edo period. At that time, Ushibuka was a key point for maritime transport, and many sailing ships carrying seafood came and went in spring. It is said that this Haiya bushi began when sailors gathering at the port and the women of Ushibuka sang and danced together. The highlight of the festival is being able to experience performances of the historically rooted Haiya bushi up close. The rhythm of the "original Haiya bushi," nurtured by the climate of this port town, colors the arrival of spring in Ushibuka.

Getting there

The venue is the central district of Ushibuka Town, Amakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Free parking is available (650 spaces). For access details, see the official website.