Whale-Themed Festivals Make a Special Summer Splash Across Japan
This summer, coastal communities across Japan are celebrating their enduring ties to whales with a series of vibrant local festivals. From ancient legends to traditional whaling reenactments, each event offers a unique window into the region's maritime culture. Why not dive into Japan's whale-themed festivities of 2025?
This lively festival, held annually on July 14, gives thanks for abundant catches and prays for safe voyages at sea. It is actually rooted in a local legend passed down through generations — the story of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, who once appeared riding a whale.
A giant whale float — featuring a parent-and-child pair — parades through the streets to the rhythm of the Osatsu Ondo, danced by the region's famous female ama divers. The highlight comes when the floats are carried into the sea for a maritime procession, complete with a dramatic kujira (whale) spouting performance.
Held in Toba City's Osatsu Town district, the festival also features karaoke, food stalls, and a dazzling fireworks show, making it a fun-filled day for all. Participants in the Osatsu Tenno Kujira Festival parade the whale around on a cart. (©Kujira Town)
Date: Monday, July 14, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Fireworks begin at 8:30 PM)
Location: Osatsu Town in Toba City, Mie Prefecture 517-0032
Access:
By bus: About 35 minutes on the Kamome Bus from Toba Bus Center. Get off at Osatsu.
By car: Around 30 minutes from the Toba exit on the Ise-Futami-Toba Line (via Ise Expressway Ise IC).
Reference: For past festival videos, see these [in English] and [in Japanese].
History comes to life in this festival with a reenactment of traditional whaling practices. Festivities are centered in Kayoi, a coastal area once known for the whales that entered its bay-like waters. During the Edo period, the town thrived as a base for organized whaling.
The spectacle features participants in red fundoshi loincloths recreating whale hunts using harpoons and nets. Later in the program, performers sing the Kayoi Kujira Uta, a folk song traditionally sung in remembrance of whales taken in the hunt.
It's a powerful look into Yamaguchi's maritime heritage and its complex relationship with whales. Collage of the Kayoi Kujira Festival in Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. (©Kujira Town)
Date: Sunday, July 20, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Venue: Kayoi Koura Reclamation Grounds (about 100 meters from the Whale Museum)
Address: 382-1 Kayoi, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture 759-4107
Access:
By bus: Around 30 minutes from JR Nagatoshi Station (San'in Line). Take a Kayoi-bound bus and get off at Koura. The venue is a short walk away.
By car: About 60 minutes from the Mine IC on the Chugoku Expressway.
Reference: For past festival videos featuring different generations celebrating whales in their culture, see these [in Japanese] and [shorter, also in Japanese].
A signature summer event in Mie, the Great Yokkaichi Festival takes place annually on the first Sunday of August. It also includes the preceding Saturday. The first day, known as Dance Day, features performances and parades from local dance troupes.
Sunday, the second day, focuses on cultural heritage and traditional performing arts. It includes ornate floats and o-neri processions with portable shrines unique to Yokkaichi. A highlight in 2025 is the return of the Seishu-maru, a whale boat-shaped float from the Seishu-gumi group. (The group is based in the city center.)
Historically, Yokkaichi's whaling floats were operated by three groups: Myojin-maru (based in Minaminaya Town), Shoichi-maru (Higashifukuro Town), and Seishu-gumi (Kitanaya Town). According to tradition, each group reenacted whaling scenes under different weather conditions — rain, sun, and storm.
The original Seishu-gumi float was retired in 1962 and later transferred to another district. About a decade ago, local volunteers in central Yokkaichi revived the tradition. With the support of whale boat enthusiasts across the city, they brought the float back to life in the new Seishu-maru. Great Yokkaichi Kujira Festival in Mie Prefecture. (©Kujira Town)
Dates: Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, 2025
Note: For venue details and full schedule, please visit the official website.
Reference: Videos of past festivals can be viewed at these sites [for 2024] and [for an earlier festival video].
First held in 1953, the Oshika Kujira Festival honors Ishinomaki City's longstanding ties to whaling. The event honors the spirits of whales, commemorates lives lost at sea, and promotes the preservation of local culture.
Now in its 64th year, the festival begins with a solemn memorial service for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, followed by a ceremony honoring the spirits of whales. Throughout the day, local students perform taiko drumming and traditional dances on a stage near the historic whaling ship on display.
Visitors can also enjoy free samples of chargrilled whale at a dedicated tasting corner — available while supplies last. As the sun sets, fireworks light up the sky over Ayukawa Port.
From morning until night, the festival offers a full lineup of events and experiences for all ages. Learn more on Whale Town Oshika, the city of Ishinomaki homepage, and on jalan.net. Poster for the Oshika Kujira Festival, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, on August 9, 2025.
Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025
Time: 8:40 AM – 8:30 PM
8:40 AM – Memorial service & whale spirit ceremony (Nyoirinzan Kannon-ji Temple)
10:00 AM – Opening ceremony
10:10 AM – Stage performances begin
11:00 AM – Chargrilled whale tasting (while supplies last)
7:30 PM – Fireworks display
Venue: Kujira Town, Oshika, open area in front of the whaling ship
Address: Ayukawa Hama Minamiji, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-2523
Reference: For past festival videos, see this one from August 2024 [in English and Japanese] and also this overview [from 2023].
This article was first published on Whaling Today, a JAPAN Forward website about whales in Japanese culture and communities, in cooperation with the nonprofit Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR).
Author: Whaling Today
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