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A danjiri being pulled at the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival

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Kishiwada Danjiri Festival

岸和田だんじり祭 · Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan

Photo: Kounosu · CC BY-SA 3.0

Heavy wooden danjiri carts race through old Kishiwada and swing round street corners at full speed in the yarimawashi turn, while the daiku-gata dance on their roofs.

Know before you go

  • Do not enter the route or stand on the inside of corners
  • do not push and shove at corners
  • do not touch a moving danjiri

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Stories & people

Stories & people

History

Chaya Shin'emon's petition

According to Kishiki Shrine, in 1745 Chaya Shin'emon of Kitamachi, inspired by Osaka's summer festivals, proposed hanging votive lanterns at every house and received the domain's permission; that August the lord also presented banners and a drum stand. In August of the following year, 1746, the five districts of the castle town pulled light, decorated carts, the first recorded appearance of Kishiwada's danjiri.

Source: Official site: Kishiki Shrine, danjiri festival; Wikipedia (Japanese): Kishiwada Danjiri Festival

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

There are several accounts of the festival's origin. One says that in 1745 Chaya Shin'emon of Kitamachi, inspired by Osaka's summer festivals, petitioned the lord to hang votive lanterns on the festival day of the Gozu Tenno shrine and was granted permission, and the town districts pulled carts the next year. Another traces it to the Inari festival that Lord Okabe Nagayasu began in 1703 after enshrining the deity of Fushimi Inari to pray for good harvests. After the Meiji-era merger of shrines, the main festival day was fixed in 1876 as September 15 on the new calendar; since 2006, because it had become hard to gather pullers, the main day has been the Sunday before Respect for the Aged Day. The great spectacle is the yarimawashi: the danjiri runs at speed and is wrenched round the corner by the crew on the rear levers. The technique is said to have taken shape only in the Showa era, after the roads were widened and paved. On the roof, the daiku-gata leap and dance with fans while scouting the way ahead and signalling the direction. In the evening lantern procession, each danjiri is hung with around 200 lanterns and pulled at walking pace, a calm contrast to the daytime frenzy. The fine woodcarvings on the carts also reward a close look.

Local customs

  • Watch the high-speed yarimawashi turns from a safe spot
  • admire the daiku-gata dancing on the roofs
  • see the lantern-lit evening procession
  • take a close look at the carvings.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Japan: At fireworks festivals, don't tape off spots in advance, and never fly drones

Do

  • Spread your sheet where there is actual space when you arrive, leaving room for neighbours
  • Follow police and staff directions and move with the crowd
  • Bring plenty of water and cooling gear to prevent heatstroke
  • Riverbanks have lots of insects, so bring repellent
  • Festivals usually go ahead in light rain, so bring a raincoat
  • Take your rubbish home

Don’t

  • Don't mark spots in advance with tape or spray paint on roads or in parks
  • Don't fly drones
  • Don't use selfie sticks in crowds; the Sumida River festival bans them
  • Don't stop in the middle of the path to watch and block the flow

Spots marked in advance are cleared by the organisers, and flying drones is prohibited by law. City-centre festivals run one-way crowd flows, and going against the flow or stopping can cause dangerous crushes.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Excite News: Sumida River Fireworks, access and viewing guide

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Mixed, open-air and private baths: read the signs, don't stare, never take photos

Do

  • Check the signs before entering; mixed baths are clearly marked, and joining is entirely your choice
  • Most mixed baths are nude only, with no swimwear; some allow or lend special bathing wraps or towels, so follow the bath's rules
  • If you prefer not to bathe mixed, use the separate men's and women's baths or a private bath
  • Outdoor baths are slippery and the temperature changes sharply; hold the handrails when moving
  • Use a private bath only within your booked slot and leave on time
  • Tohoku and other regions still have many therapeutic hot springs with mixed bathing; for long therapeutic stays, follow the ryokan's and your doctor's advice

Don’t

  • Don't stare at other bathers, strike up conversations, or linger to watch
  • Don't take photos or videos in the bath area
  • Don't overstay a private bath; the next group is waiting

Mixed bathing works only because bathers keep their eyes to themselves; staring or taking photos will get you asked to leave, and filming others in a bath may break local law.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Wikipedia (Japanese): Konyoku

Essential restrictionsPhotos & dronesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Stay off private land, and ask before photographing children or people

Do

  • Ask parents' permission before photographing their children
  • Ask geiko, maiko, and other working people before photographing them
  • Check for 撮影禁止 (no photography) signs, and ask staff if there are none
  • Photograph trains and stations themselves without disrupting operations

Don’t

  • Do not enter private homes or land for a shot
  • Do not photograph the inside of homes
  • Do not aim your camera at individual passengers on trains or buses
  • Do not step into rice paddies, flower beds, or along railway tracks for photos
  • Do not use selfie sticks or tripods in crowds or dangerous spots
  • Do not chase or stop geiko or maiko

Trespassing on private land is illegal and can get you told to leave or to delete your photos. Shooting in no-photo areas will be stopped, and photographing children is seen as an invasion of privacy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Aichi Now: Sightseeing Manners

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Bathe nude in the onsen and keep your towel out of the water

Do

  • Bathe fully nude, without swimwear or underwear
  • Rest your small towel on your head or the edge of the bath
  • Tie up long hair so it stays out of the water
  • Enter the bath slowly and keep quiet
  • Leave your phone in the locker
  • Keep your first soak short, and dry off before returning to the changing room

Don’t

  • Do not dip your towel into the bath
  • Do not swim, dive, or talk loudly in the bath
  • Do not take photos anywhere in the bathing area
  • Do not wrap your yukata right side over left; that is how the deceased are dressed

Most of these are written bathhouse rules. Breaking them gets you a reminder from staff, and in serious cases you may be asked to leave. Soaking too long can also make you dizzy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Authentic Local Japan: Onsen Etiquette

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not enter the route or stand on the inside of corners
  • do not push and shove at corners
  • do not touch a moving danjiri

Locals appreciate DO

  • Follow the directions of police and staff
  • choose a safe viewing spot
  • travel by public transport

Plan your visit

Practical info

2027 datesSeptember 18 – 19, 2027

Travel tips

  • The September festival takes place on the weekend before Respect for the Aged Day (the third Monday of September): Saturday is the yoimiya and Sunday the hommiya, with trial runs beforehand. A separate October festival is held in districts such as Higashi-Kishiwada and Yamadai
  • this entry covers the September festival. The fast turns are genuinely dangerous, so keep well away from corners. Roads are closed during the festival, so take the Nankai line to Kishiwada or Takojizo station. Check Kishiwada City and Kishiki Shrine for the exact schedule.

2027 schedule

  • By the usual rule, Respect for the Aged Day 2027 falls on September 20, so the yoimiya is September 18 and the hommiya September 19
  • the exact schedule awaits official announcement.
Sources & verification notes

Wikipedia (Japanese): Kishiwada Danjiri Festival

Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau: Kishiwada Danjiri Festival

Official site: Kishiki Shrine, danjiri festival

Festival Calendar

Other festivals in Sep

All festivals in Sep