May 20, 2026
Notice regarding visits to Motonosumi Shrine 2026
- >
- Events
- >
- “2026 Nagato City Kayoi Kujira Festival”
Events
“2026 Nagato City Kayoi Kujira Festival”
Start/End Dates:July 19, 2026(Sun)
Organizer: Kayoi Whale Festival Executive Committee
Reproduction of the heroic scene of old-style whaling
In 2026, the event will be held on Sunday, July 19!
The Kayoi area on Omijima Island in Nagato City has a bay-like topography that makes it easy for whales to stray into the area, and in the Edo period (1603-1868) it flourished as a base for the old whaling method that used harpoons and nets. The "Kayoi Kujira Festival" is an event that recreates such old-fashioned whaling. The "whale team," dressed in red loincloths, chases the whales in rowing boats and finishes them off by harpooning and climbing over them. In the latter half of the ceremony, a traditional "whale song" is performed to express condolences for the whales.
*Photos are from the past.
[Program Details]
(Japanese Boat Rowing Competition)
9:00 - Course Lottery
9:30 - Opening Ceremony
9:40 - Vocational/Group (Preliminary)
10:20 - Group (Final)
10:30 - Vocational/Group (Final)
10:30 - Awards Ceremony
(Old Whaling)
11:30 - Takeuri Shobu,
11:00 - Old Whaling demonstration
11:45 - Whale Song Performance
(International Exchange)
13:00 - International Exchange Classroom
(Bazaar)
9:00 - 13:00
The Kayoi area on Omijima Island in Nagato City has a bay-like topography that makes it easy for whales to stray into the area, and in the Edo period (1603-1868) it flourished as a base for the old whaling method that used harpoons and nets. The "Kayoi Kujira Festival" is an event that recreates such old-fashioned whaling. The "whale team," dressed in red loincloths, chases the whales in rowing boats and finishes them off by harpooning and climbing over them. In the latter half of the ceremony, a traditional "whale song" is performed to express condolences for the whales.
*Photos are from the past.
[Program Details]
(Japanese Boat Rowing Competition)
9:00 - Course Lottery
9:30 - Opening Ceremony
9:40 - Vocational/Group (Preliminary)
10:20 - Group (Final)
10:30 - Vocational/Group (Final)
10:30 - Awards Ceremony
(Old Whaling)
11:30 - Takeuri Shobu,
11:00 - Old Whaling demonstration
11:45 - Whale Song Performance
(International Exchange)
13:00 - International Exchange Classroom
(Bazaar)
9:00 - 13:00
Basic Info
| Venue | Kayoi Koura reclaimed land（100m before Whale Museum) |
|---|---|
| Location | Near 382-1, Kayoi, Nagato, Yamaguchi 759-4107 |
| Access | ・Take a bus bound for Kayoi from Nagato City Station on the JR San'in Main Line (about 30 minutes), get off at Koura bus stop, and walk shortly. ・About 60 minutes by car from the Mine IC on the Chugoku Expressway. |
| Parking | Approximately 100 cars will be parked at the event site "Dori Koura Reclaimed Land" as the first parking lot *If the lot is full, the "Dori Junior High School Ground" will become the second parking lot |
| Parking Fees | Free |
Contact
- Kayoi Kujira Festival Executive Committee Secretariat
- Phone Number: 0837-28-0008
