OSAKA KISHIWADA Danjiri Festival

[Osaka/Kishiwada] Experience the thrilling "yarimawashi" up close! Kishiwada road race festival viewing seats now available!

The "Kishiwada road race festival," boasting over 320 years of history, is one of Japan's most representative traditional festivals. This year, special viewing seats will be set up at the thrilling viewing spot "Kankanba," where you can witness the breathtaking moment of "yarimawashi" as the race cars make sharp turns at high speed. Around 400,000 people from all over the world visit annually just to catch a glimpse of this spectacle. Be sure to experience the excitement and realism that can only be felt on-site!

●About the seating area

Special viewing seats will be set up on both the mountain side and sea side where the "kan-kan area" is located during the three days from September 18 (Fri) to 20 (Sun) (trial pull, eve festival, and main festival day). We offer various types of seats to experience different moments: the "trial pull" where you can feel the tension of the eve, the "yanki-dashi" when carts from each neighborhood depart, the "parade" where all carts gather together, and the "daytime program" when the festival atmosphere reaches its peak.

●Highlights of the Kishiwada danjiri festival

The hikiyama (float-pulling) team consists of about 500 to 1,000 members, including "pullers," "hayashikata (musicians)," "craftsmen," "front shovelers," and "rear shovelers." One of the festival's biggest attractions is the sight of this united team manually maneuvering a massive 4-ton tram. Particularly breathtaking is the climax moment called "yarimawashi," where the tram makes a sharp 90-degree turn while moving at high speed.

For this very moment, the participants have spent years training, building their physical strength, fostering unspoken understanding, and honing the courage to overcome danger. It is only when the team is perfectly in sync that they can clear the difficult challenge of the "sharp turn." This sense of unity in the community is the foundation that has kept the Kishiwada tram festival going for 300 years. Though there have been regrettable accidents, the passion of the citizens for the tram festival remains undiminished to this day. When you hear the festival music, you can't help but run out into the streets. The tram festival is not only a source of pride for the citizens but also a bond of the heart passed down from generation to generation. From parent to child, from child to grandchild, the tradition of the tram festival will continue to be passed on.