Around Johana Betsuin Zentokuji Temple and Johana-za (Johana Mugiya Festival venue) (城端別院善徳寺・じょうはな座周辺, 城端むぎや祭会場)

Flow of the course

About this spot

Held on September 20, 2026, centered around Johana Betsuin Zentokuji Temple and the Johana Traditional Performing Arts Hall Johana-za, the Johana Mugiya Festival is a festival where the people of Johana keep alive, town-wide, the folk song “Mugiya-bushi” handed down from the neighboring Gokayama region. The vigor of the men's dance, performed under low-brimmed sedge hats, and the graceful hand movements of the women's dance emerge in the nighttime temple town, set to the poignantly melancholic shamisen and singing. Different from the Hikiyama Festival, this festival, with its quiet, wistful atmosphere, is an autumn event that reflects another side of Johana, a town that prospered through silk and faith.

Festival details

Tips

The area around the venue gets busy with many spectators at night, and parking lots can fill up early. Checking public transportation options and information on nearby temporary parking lots in advance is reassuring. Temperatures tend to drop at night, so don't forget something to layer on.

Best time to visit

From 17:00 onward; the atmosphere is most evocative after 18:00, once it gets dark and the lanterns are lit.

Access & map

富山県 南砺市城端・城端別院善徳寺、城端伝統芸能会館じょうはな座周辺