Events
Matsue is home to many festivals all year round, many of which are listed here. For more up to date information and events, please have a look at our Matsue City Guide Facebook Page and its related newsletter. You can also find all the major events held in Matsue on this event calendar (Japanese).

January

Ink Festival (Katae no Sumitsuke Tondo) - 片江の墨つけとんど

 
The first Sunday (after the 6th) of every January and the fourth Sunday of every July.

Haven't we always dreamed of drawing on our friends' face with ink? It's time to realize your childhood dream!
Twice a year (for more than 250 years !), the people of Mihonoseki Harbour and some adventurous tourists gather in the harbour and go back home the face covered by Chinese ink blended with water and traditionally applied using slices of daikon radish.
Some participants also help carry a god between local shrines. It is carried quite a distance in the water of the port in both summer and winter!

As Mihonoseki is a port city, it is said that the ink applied on your face wil protect you from illnesses and shipwrecks for one year! Any volunteers?

Access to Mihonoseki : Mihonoseki Harbour

More infromation : https://www.mihonoseki-kankou.jp/sinji/sinji_sumitsukedonto/ (en japonais)

February

Spring Equinox Festival (Setsubun-sai) – 節分祭

 
Every year on February 3rd

Taking place throughout Japan on February 3rd, Setsubun indicates the beginning of spring. It is accompanied with a bean-throwing ceremony (Mame-maki) to cleanse all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. Such ceremonies are held in the many shrines around Matsue. The most popular ceremony is held in Kumano Taisha Shrine in southern Matsue. It takes place in the early afternoon, and city officials, such as the mayor and governor, often have the honour of tossing the beans.

March

Matsue Irish Festival – 松江アイリッシュ・フェスティバル

 
As the first Japanese home of Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn, Matsue has close ties with Ireland and celebrates St. Patrick’s Day each year with traditional Irish music and céili dancing.

Irish Festival in Matsue Facebook Page (jp) @irishfesmatsue

Interactive map of the event:

April

O-shiro Castle Festival – お城まつり

 
From the end of March to mid-April

Matsue Castle is one of the best places to view cherry blossoms in Matsue, and while they are in bloom there is a festival held on the castle grounds. You can enjoy stage performances like impressive Kagura dances or drum concerts for free on weekends. The castle tower is also open until later than usual and night-time illuminations make the entire castle grounds an enchanting place.

Matsue Musha Gyoretsu Warrior Parade – 松江武者行列

 
Every year on the first Saturday of April

This annual event celebrates the founding of Matsue by re-enacting the symbolic entrance of Lord Horio Yoshiharu and his troops to his newly built castle town. Participants parade through Matsue in warrior armour, elegant kimono, and other outfits reminiscent of the early Edo period. In case of rain, the event may be held indoors.

URL: Matsue Musha Gyoretsu Warrior Parade (jp)  ››  Click here

Aofushigaki Ritual – 青柴垣神事

 
Every year on April 7th

Held in the early afternoon at Mihonoseki Harbour, the Aofushigaki Ritual re-enacts a famous episode of the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), written in 713 and regarded as one of the most important records of the early history of Japan. This solemn Shinto ritual is based on the “Transfer of the Land Myth” (Kuni-yuzuri Shinwa), that tells of Kotoshironushi disappearing from the visible world by going into the sea after he agreed to concede the lands to the sun goddess, Amaterasu. Kotoshironushi, also known as Ebisu, is the son of Okuninushi, worshipped at Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine on the other side of the Shimane Peninsula.

May

Horan-enya – ホーランエンヤ

 
May, once every 10 years (next festival will be in 2029)

One of the top three boat festivals of Japan, Horan-enya has been celebrated since the Edo era. A procession of boats protects the boat carrying the deity from Jozan Inari Shrine all the way down the Ohashi River to Adakaya Shrine, the most flamboyant of which are five “Kaidenma-sen.” The crews decorate these boats in unique and traditional styles, and the rowers chant while dancers in bright Kabuki makeup and costumes dance with batons and oars on either end of the boat. The festival lasts nine days both on land and on the water and takes a year to prepare. You can visit the Horan-enya Memorial Hall to experience a small taste of this festival at any other time.

July

Tamatsukuri Onsen Summer Festival – 玉造温泉夏まつり

 
Held in Tamatsukuri Onsen, this annual summer festival consists of daily stage events and food stands. The stages are outside surrounding the Tamayu River, and performances range from music concerts to traditional dances, like Yasugi-bushi.

Shirakata Tenmangu Festival - 白潟天満宮夏祭り

 
Every year on the 24th and 25th of July

Also named Tenjin-san Festival, it has been running for more than 400 years. The god of the Shirakata Tenmangu Shrine is transferred to a portable shrine (Omikoshi) which is carried to Matsue Castle and then back, along with a procession of accompanying shrines.
On the 24th, a large number of portable shrines are carried by enthusiastic local volunteers and event sponsors. This is the most exciting day of the festival and every year a huge crowd gathers in the path.
On the 25th, the main shrine is carried by Shirakata Tenmangu's priests and worshippers while smaller shrines are carried by local children.

 

It is easy to volunteer to help carry a shrine, which is a very memorable experience. Or, if you'd rather just watch and enjoy the festival atmosphere, you can enjoy with a large selection of traditional summer festival foods such as takoyaki or kakigoori.


Access : https://fr.visit-matsue.com/discover/city_centre/south_side

Ink Festival (Katae no Sumitsuke Tondo) - 片江の墨つけとんど

 
The first Sunday (after the 6th) of every January and the fourth Sunday of every July.

Haven't we always dreamed of drawing on our friends' face with ink? It's time to realize your childhood dream!
Twice a year (for more than 250 years !), the people of Mihonoseki Harbour and some adventurous tourists gather in the harbour and go back home the face covered by Chinese ink blended with water and traditionally applied using slices of daikon radish.
Some participants also help carry a god between local shrines. It is carried quite a distance in the water of the port in both summer and winter!

As Mihonoseki is a port city, it is said that the ink applied on your face wil protect you from illnesses and shipwrecks for one year! Any volunteers?

Access to Mihonoseki : Mihonoseki Harbour

More infromation : https://www.mihonoseki-kankou.jp/sinji/sinji_sumitsukedonto/ (en japonais)

August

Matsue Suigosai Fireworks Festival – 松江水郷祭

 
One of the biggest events in the City of Water, Matsue Suigosai is held in the city centre by Lake Shinji's shore. Many people wearing yukata and jinbei will enjoy the surface of the lake lit up by thousands of fireworks, while dance events and other performances are held on stage by Matsue City Hall. There are also many food stalls.

Obon Lantern Floating Festival (Toro-nagashi) – 灯篭流し

 
Every year on August 16th

Paper lanterns are sent floating down Ohashi River, Matsue's main river, symbolising the ancestral spirits' return to the world of the dead. This Buddhist ceremony marks the end of Obon, when the spirits of ancestors are said to revisit household altars. Many people come and watch the ceremony from Matsue Ohashi Bridge and surrounding riverbanks.

September

Sada Shrine Gozakae Ritual – 御座替神事

 
Every year on September 24th and 25th

This ritual is undertaken to purify the new rush mats upon which the tutelary deities of Sada Shrine are to sit. Another round of dances follows on the second day, including Sada Shin Noh, which was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011. Created in the early 15th century, these dances have been handed down from generation to generation and are thought to have given its contemporary structure and content to the Kagura dances that today thrive in Shimane culture.

October

Water Lantern Festival (Matsue Suitoro) – 松江水燈路

 
Held during weekends and national holidays, Matsue Suitoro provides a magical view of lantern-lit waterways around Matsue Castle and adjacent Shiomi Nawate Street, designated as one of the 100 most beautiful streets of Japan. A draw-it-yourself lantern studio can be found on the castle grounds, which are illuminated with hundreds of lanterns of differently sizes and styles. The Horikawa Sightseeing Boat that cruises along the canals extends its operating at night.

URL: Water Lantern Festival (Matsue Suitoro) (jp)  ››  Click here

Matsue Dogyoretsu Drum Parade – 鼕行列

 
Every October on the 3rd Sunday of October, Matsue hosts a drum festival where everybody is encouraged to join in and pound on the giant drums that are hauled on floats through the streets. These two-metre-diameter (6.5 feet) “Do” drums are pulled by children arrayed in traditional coats, and are accompanied by bamboo flutes and changara cymbals. The sound of this energetic procession echoes through the city not only on the day of the festival, but also in the evenings leading up to the day as groups all over town gather to practice in their respective neighbourhoods. Each neighbourhood as its own specific carriages, styles of drumming, and outfits.

Matsue Castle Grand Tea Ceremony – 松江城大茶会

 
Lord Matsudaira Harusato, who ruled Matsue from 1767 to 1806, was passionate about the tea ceremony and is also known by his tea name, Fumai. Thanks to his passion, matcha (powdered green tea) and wagashi (Japanese confectionary) became a favourite of the people of Matsue, and they remain a part of Matsue’s everyday culture. [More info in Culture and History]

The biggest tea event of the year is the Matsue Castle Grand Tea Ceremony, during which numerous schools of tea gather on the Matsue Castle grounds and offer a taste of their schools to the general public. It is one of the top three tea gatherings in Japan. This event is popular with enthusiasts, but no prior knowledge is necessary to enjoy yourself!

December

Morotabune Ritual – 諸手船神事

 
Every year on December 3rd

Held in the early afternoon in Mihonoseki Harbour, the Moratabune Ritual mainly consists of a race between two boats with the rowers wearing traditional clothes. Like the Aofushigaki Ritual (see above), it re-enacts a famous episode from the Kojiki, in which heavenly messengers are sent by the sun goddess Amaterasu to ask for the lands of Okuninushi (now worshipped at Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine). The messengers were then sent by him to ask his son, Kotoshironushi (also known as Ebisu), and they used a dug-out canoe to get to him. More info about the legends taking place in and around Matsue.

Special Hanami (Cherry Blossoms) – 花見

 
Matsue Castle
Matsue Castle
Tamayu River
Cherry Road, in Northern Matsue
Senju-in Temple,Northeast of Matsue Castle
In spring, Matsue is blessed with many spots to enjoy the cherry blossoms. In Japanese, this activity is called Hanami. Here is a selection of spots in Matsue we recommend most:
- Matsue Castle
- Tama-yu River
- Otsukayama Park
- Cherry Road (Shimane-cho)

Special Koyo (Autumn Foliage) – 紅葉

 
Colourful leaves are to the Japanese autumn what cherry blossoms are to spring, and Matsue has many spots to enjoy the beautiful autumn tints (or Koyo, in Japanese). See our Facebook Photo Album for more info and pictures.

Flowers of Matsue – 花暦

 
Camellia (tsubaki)
early February ~ late May
Everywhere throughout the city.
Japanese Plum (ume)
mid-February ~ late April
Matsue Castle
Cherry trees (sakura)
late-March ~ early April
See our Special Hanami above
Peony (botan)
mid-April ~ early May
Daikonshima Island
Azalea (tsutsuji)
late April ~ early May
Mihonoseki Harbour
(Gohonmatsu Park)
Wisteria (fuji)
late April ~ early May
Horikawa Sightseeing Boat
Iris (ayame/kakitsubata/shobu)
early May ~ Mid-May
Horikawa Sightseeing Boat
Hydrangea (ajisai)
mid-June ~ early July
Gessho-ji Temple
Sasanqua (sazanka)
late October ~ late January
Winter Peony (kanbotan)
winter
Yuushien Garden
Matsue is blooming with beautiful flowers all year round. You can enjoy them in the city centre or in the major gardens of Matsue: Yuushien Garden and Matsue Vogel Park. The two flower-symbols of Matsue are the camellia and the peony. See our Facebook Photo Album for more info and pictures.

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