1. Home
  2. Chugoku
  3. Yamaguchi
  4. Iwakuni
  5. Events
  6. Kurakake Castle Festival
Festival · Yamaguchi · Chugoku

Kurakake Castle Festival

鞍掛城まつり

A castle festival features an armored warrior procession, parades, and traditional performances including taiko drumming and Shinto kagura dance.

Symbol Image of Japanese Armour
Symbol Image of Japanese Armour
Dates
16 Nov 2026Every year
Opening hours
16 Nov 202609:00 to 15:30
Links
Official websiteJapanese
Venue
Kuga Children's HallKugamachi, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi
〒 742-0335How to get there
Nearest stationKuga Station
玖珂Gantoku Line43 min walk from the station
Nearest bus stop玖珂総合公園3 min walk from the bus stop

The festival features various events such as the Kurakake Warrior March, Battle Deployment Scroll, diverse parades, balloon releases, brass band performances by various schools, ikiriko (traditional Japanese percussion instrument) performances, Kuga Taiko drumming, Yanazu Kagura (a traditional Shinto dance).

Among these, the Kurakake Warrior March and Battle Deployment Scroll are the main highlights of the festival. The scene of approximately 40 warriors adorned in armour embarking on their journey captivates the attendees.

Getting There

Map: Getting to Kuga Children's Hall. Legend: Gantoku Line; Sanyo Shinkansen; San-yo Main Line; Bus from Kuga. Labelled stations: Tokuyama, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Iwakuni, Kushigahama, Kuga.

Planning a trip? Fit this into a trip and Oni plans the rest around it.

At Hey Japan!, we strive to keep the events listed on our website as current as possible. However, event organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or modify admission requirements without prior notice. Check official websites before attending any event.

Part ofFestivalsMatsuri
TagsAutumnHistoryKaguraMatsuriMusicShintoTaikoTraditional AttireTraditional PerformanceWarrior
Keep exploring

You might also like

Festival

Suhoteisai Festival

A rare Yamaguchi ritual festival said to date back over 1,800 years, with seven nights of dances around the Oni-ishi stone, towering banners, and lantern-topped poles.

7–13 Aug 2027Exact date not confirmed yetShimonoseki · Yamaguchi
Festival

Atsukishinmei Festival

Fire-lit pillars adorned with sacred paper stand on beaches as the community performs ceremonial dances twice daily, seeking protection from illness and calamity.

11 Feb 2027Exact date not confirmed yetYanai · Yamaguchi
Festival

Shinkawa Market Festival

This downtown festival features food and craft stalls, agricultural products, and family activities rooted in Ube City's late 18th-century market traditions.

5 May 2027Ube · Yamaguchi
Performance

Iwami Kagura

Each autumn in western Shimane, shrine stages host Iwami Kagura – sacred dances performed through the night, from ceremonial pieces to a battle with a serpent.

Shimane · Chugoku
Performing Art

Ninja＋Kabuki Tokyo

This nonverbal stage experience blends traditional kabuki and taiko drumming to tell a mythological tale of rival ninja, opening in August 2024.

Tokyo
Interactive Experience

SHOGUN STUDIO JAPAN

A Kyoto studio where visitors put on real film-grade armour or hand-painted kimono and take tea in a tea room built for it, a minute from Umekoji-Kyotonishi.

Kyoto