Festival · Iwate · TohokuMorioka Sansa Odori Festival
Morioka · 1–4 Aug 2026
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2026/08/01Festival · Iwate · Tohoku
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Festival · Iwate · TohokuMorioka · 1–4 Aug 2026
04:3318:50Morioka
Reference rates · 2026/07/30
Major summer dance festival originating from legend about a demon's defeat, featuring traditional Sansa Odori dance and powerful taiko performances.
1–4 Aug 2026Morioka · IwateThis centuries-old festival features over 100 mikoshi shrines and floats, with the Shishi-Odori deer dance and sacred Kagura-Gongenmai performance.
11–13 Sep 2026Hanamaki · IwateOne of Iwate's most enduring celebrations, this autumn festival originated as prayers for harvest, now featuring ornate floats and traditional parades.
14–16 Sep 2026Morioka · IwateThis over 650-year-old festival in a northern mountain town expresses gratitude for the harvest while praying for protection from disaster and the arrival of good fortune.
19–21 Sep 2026Kuji · IwateThe final day of this week-long Buddhist observance at a UNESCO World Heritage temple features torchlit processions and prayers for good fortune.
14–20 Jan 2027Hiraizumi · IwateMen of unlucky ages run through icy waters in this harsh February ritual that has cleansed misfortune since the devastating Edo-period Great Fire.
11 Feb 2027Ichinoseki · IwateChagu Chagu Umakko Festival, held in June in Iwate Prefecture, honors working horses through decoration, reflecting the region's heritage as a center for horse breeding and agriculture.
14 Jun 2027Takizawa · IwateCastle ruins built in 1597 at a strategic river confluence, serving as a northern sentinel monitoring trade routes for over 700 years.
Morioka · IwateThe head Tendai temple founded in 850, significantly expanded in the 12th century and designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Hiraizumi · IwateRural Tono shrine associated with love and connection, where visitors tie wishes on red cloth strips using only their non-dominant hand.
Tono · IwateTakkoku no Iwaya Bishamon-do, established in 801 AD within a natural cave, merges geology with spiritual architecture, preserving 1,200 years of worship.
Hiraizumi · IwateMuseum opened 2011 within Morioka Castle Ruins Park, treating the historic fort grounds as its primary exhibit while promoting the surrounding castle-town area.
Morioka · IwateShinto shrine dedicated to Hachiman, god of war and samurai patron, hosting an annual August festival featuring traditional taiko drums and horseback archery.
Morioka · IwateZen temple founded in 1394 and relocated to Morioka in 1601, renowned for its exceptional collection of 500 wooden Rakan enlightened-disciple statues.
Morioka · IwateShinto shrine dedicated to Sozen, an Edo-period samurai warrior, established in the early eighteenth century and surrounded by a serene garden.
Takizawa · IwateA UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2021 as part of a collective listing encompassing 17 Jomon archaeological sites across four northern prefectures.
Ichinohe · IwateBuddhist temple from the 12th century, renowned for its gold-leaf decorated hall and picturesque pond garden in the finest Heian-era style.
Hiraizumi · IwateMedieval estate remains spanning nearly 50 hectares, established to support a Buddhist temple's scripture repository and religious mission.
Ichinoseki · Iwate
