Nagasaki · Nagasaki
Nagasaki Kunchi
長崎くんち
Suwa Shrine's rite, whose dedicated performances carry Chinese and Dutch elements in solution.
Next
7–9 October 2027
349 days away
Every year, 7 October, for 3 days
Future dates: 7 October 2027 · 7 October 2028 · 7 October 2029
Origin
In the Edo period the shrine's festival was promoted partly as a counterweight to Christianity. Yet because this was Japan's only window on the outside world, foreign forms — dragon dances, Chinese ships — settled permanently into the repertoire of offerings.
What to look for
The dedications rotate between neighbourhoods: the city's fifty-eight odorichō are divided into seven groups, and a group's turn comes round once every seven years. What you see therefore changes from year to year, and the next chance to see the same piece is seven years away. The crowd calls "Motte-koi!" to demand an encore, and gets it.
How to watch
The tiered seating is paid and sells early. The performing neighbourhoods run to a timetable, so get the running order if there is something you want to see.
Where
Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki
Nagasaki, Nagasaki
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