Nakasu After Dark Transforms into Edo-Era Japan: Enjoy the 51st Nakasu Festival and Its Spectacular Oiran Procession

Fukuoka's famous entertainment district, Nakasu, will be transformed into a lively festival venue for the 51st Nakasu Festival on 30 and 31 October. The event will also see the return of the popular lottery, with a ¥100,000 travel voucher offered as the top prize.

The highlight of the festival is the Oiran Procession on 31 October, when Nakasu Main Street is transformed into a scene straight out of the Edo period. The elaborately dressed oiran can also be seen gliding along the Hakata River aboard a traditional boat.

From around 6:00 p.m., food stalls line the streets, offering festival foods and dishes prepared by long-established local restaurants. The festival atmosphere comes alive at night with performances such as Japanese taiko drumming on the Nakasu 5-Chome Stage and the all-female Nakasu Kunihiro Women's Mikoshi, a portable shrine carried only by women.

On the eve of the festival, 29 October, visitors can join the Hashigo-zake Bar-Hopping Event, where they can enjoy special deals while visiting three participating venues in Nakasu in a single evening. With neon lights, lantern-lit streets, traditional festivities and local drinking culture coming together, the event is an ideal opportunity for international visitors to experience both Japanese festival traditions and local bar culture.　

Hashigo-zake Bar-Hopping Event: Advance tickets: ¥3,000; Same-day tickets: ¥4,000 (tax included). Advance tickets can be purchased through Lawson Ticket (L-code: 82680).

Event Highlights

29 Oct.(Thu.): Hashigo-zake Bar-Hopping Event
Reception from 7:30 p.m. / Start at 8:00 p.m. / Prize Redemption until 9:30 p.m.
29–31 Oct. (Thu.–Sat.): Food and Drink Tent Area at the 1-Chome Stage (Haruyoshi Bridge Plaza)
30 Oct. (Fri.): Diva Discovery Project in Nakasu (from around 6:30 p.m.)
31 Oct. (Sat.): Nakasu Halloween Live (from around 6:30 p.m.) 
30–    31 Oct. (Fri.–Sat.): 
Food Stalls Along Nakasu Main Street (from around 6:00 p.m.)
Nakasu 5-Chome Stage Performances (scheduled from 7:00 p.m.; taiko performances after 9:00 p.m.)
Boat Procession and Rickshaws (Scheduled)
30 Oct. (Fri.): Nakasu Kunihiro Women's Mikoshi (7:45 p.m. departure)
31 Oct. (Sat.):
Nakasu Kunihiro Women's Mikoshi (7:00 p.m. departure)
Oiran Procession