Festival · Saga
Karatsu Kunchi
唐津くんち
The autumn festival of Karatsu Shrine in Saga. Fourteen giant lacquered floats, shaped like a red lion, samurai helmets, a dragon and a sea bream, are hauled through the old castle town by teams chanting "Enya! Yoisa!".
When
2–4 November every year
- 2026 dates
- 2 – 4 Nov 2026
- Main days
- Mon, 2 Nov 2026, Tue, 3 Nov 2026
- Cost
- Free; there are no paid seats
- Crowds
- Heavy, especially on 3 November
- Time needed
- Evening of 2 November from 19:00, and daytime on 3–4 November
- Nearest station
- JR Karatsu Station
In short
- The evening of 2 November is the most magical: the floats are lit by lanterns as they gather in front of Karatsu Shrine.
- On 3 November, the big moment is when teams drag each float into the deep sand at the Nishinohama festival ground. Get there early.
- Keep off the route, never walk alongside or right behind a float, and don't sit on the road. Selfie sticks and drones are banned.
- Some shops in central Karatsu close for the festival. The Arpino building next to the station has a local food market and a place to rest.
- Karatsu is an easy day trip from Fukuoka: trains from the Fukuoka subway run straight through on the JR Chikuhi Line.
What happens when
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2 November, from 19:00 | Yoi-hikiyama: lantern-lit floats gather in order | From Otemon to Karatsu Shrine |
| 3 November, from about 9:30 | Otabisho-shinko: portable shrine and floats parade to the festival ground | Old castle town to Nishinohama otabisho |
| 4 November | Machimawari: a last tour of about 8 km, then the floats are put away | Old castle town |
What the Karatsu Kunchi is
Kunchi is the Kyushu word for an autumn festival. In Karatsu it belongs to Karatsu Shrine, and its stars are 14 hikiyama, floats built from wood, paper and many layers of lacquer between the 1800s and the early 1900s. Each weighs two to three tonnes.
They always parade in the order they were built, from No. 1, the Red Lion of Katana-machi, to No. 14, the treasure ship Shippomaru of Egawa-machi. Each neighbourhood team wears matching headbands and costumes. The floats are part of a UNESCO intangible heritage listing.
Kunchi food
During the festival, local families open their homes to friends and relatives and serve a feast. The famous dish is a whole ara fish, often more than 60 cm long, stuffed with daikon and eggs and simmered for about a day in huge iron pots.
You will need a local friend to be invited, but you can try Karatsu's seafood in restaurants around town, and Saga's local dishes are worth a look too.
Missed the festival?
Outside the festival the 14 floats are kept on display. The float hall is being rebuilt, so the floats are currently shown in the Arpino hall next to Karatsu Station.
Where it happens
Questions
When is Karatsu Kunchi?
From 2 to 4 November every year: the lantern parade on the evening of 2 November, the main parade on 3 November and a final tour on 4 November.
Can I buy seats?
No. There are no paid viewing seats. Watch from the pavement and follow the staff and police.
How do I get to Karatsu?
From Fukuoka, take a JR Chikuhi Line train that runs through from the Fukuoka subway. The trip takes about 80 minutes.
Plan around it
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.
Facts checked 24 October 2026