Karatsu Shrine’s annual autumn festival brings 14 enormous floats through the old castle town, accompanied by festival music and chants of “Enya, Enya!” Shaped like lions, helmets, ships and other motifs, these floats are also monumental works of lacquer art, built from layers of washi paper and hemp cloth finished with lacquer. Each preserves a distinctive design passed down through its neighbourhood.
Two highlights are especially recommended for first-time visitors:
• Nov 2, evening: During Yoiyama, lantern-lit floats make their way through the streets.
• Nov 3, from around noon: The Hikikomi sees the floats hauled into the temporary festival grounds at Nishinohama, one of the festival’s main spectacles.
Between processions, a walk around Karatsu Shrine and the old castle town offers a chance to appreciate each neighbourhood’s festival attire, the sounds of the celebrations and the bustle outside local shops.
- Nov 2, 2026 (Mon) 19:00~21:30, Nov 3, 2026 (Tue, hol) 9:30~16:30, Nov 4, 2026 (Wed) 10:00~16:40
- Free viewing
- Karatsu Shrine (3-13 Minamijonai, Karatsu City, Saga) ~ Karatsu City Center (Course Map)
- Website