May. 16, 2022 UPDATE

Mifune Festival

- 三船祭 -
Traveler Friendly
You will surely enjoy the interesting performances played on the boats!
Information
Japanese only
Languages spoken
Japanese only
PeriodThe third Sunday of May, every year
VenueOigawa River in Arashiyama
1583 4 --- 0 reviews
May. 16, 2022 UPDATE

Mifune Festival

- 三船祭 -
Traveler Friendly
You will surely enjoy the interesting performances played on the boats!
Information
Japanese only
Languages spoken
Japanese only
1583 4 --- 0 reviews
PeriodThe third Sunday of May, every year
VenueOigawa River in Arashiyama
Story & Recommendation
The Mifune Festival – A display of elegant boats on Arashiyama’s Oigawa River
The Mifune Festival was started in commemoration of the enthronement of Emperor Showa in 1928 and has been held ever since.
Held on the third Sunday of May, the Mifune Festival reenacts the boating practices of the Heian period on the Arashiyama area’s Oigawa River. Various traditional performances are played out on the boats and a lady chosen via audition takes on the role of the legendary author of The Pillow Book, Sei Shonagon.
At the festival, you will get the opportunity to see some of the beautiful, and very colorful, clothes court nobles of old would wear.
In addition to the beautiful clothes, you’ll also get to see some cool looking dragon and bird figureheads on the boats. These figureheads aren’t just there for show either, they actually denote the role of each of the boats. For instance, there are boats carrying musicians, dancers and even poets.
  • Sharing Kyoto Staff
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Details
Event time
12:30pm - 3:00pm
Price range
Credit cards
Not accepted
Kurumazaki Shrine is also well-known for its patron deity of the performing arts. It is therefore visited by many famous stars who come here to offer prayers so that they can give better stage performances or rise in popularity. If you wish to sing or dance better, it might be a good idea to pay a visit to this shrine (Referred to Japan National Tourism Organization).
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