Hamamatsu Festival 2025: Shizuoka’s Festival of Kites and Floats

Held during Japan’s Golden Week — a string of holidays falling between April 29 and May 5 — are several grand festivals all over Japan, one of which is Shizuoka’s Hamamatsu Festival.

Celebrated annually May 3–5, with the dates fixed thanks to all three days being public holidays, this festival takes place in Hamamatsu City and is best known for its spectacular kite battles and parade of majestic floats. Read on to discover this festival’s origins and highlights, as well as some practical information for those interested in visiting!

Though Hamamatsu Festival’s current incarnation was established in 1950, its origins can be traced back to an apocryphal tale, in which the ruling lord of Hikuma Castle (now Hamamatsu Castle) during the Eiroku era (1558–1569) flew a large kite in honor of the birth of his first son. 

Though there are no records to prove that this actually happened, there are, in fact, records of kite flying in Hamamatsu dating back to the late 18th century. The popularity of this practice grew even further during the Meiji era (1868–1912). After all, the Nakatajima Sand Dunes — one of the two venues for the Hamamatsu Festival — face the Enshu Sea, from which strong winds favorable for kite flying blow. The area also has a long tradition of hatsudako (literally, “first kite”), flying a kite to celebrate the birth of one’s firstborn child.

The popularity of kite flying as a pastime led to the establishment of “kite battles”, which increasingly grew in scale and continued to be held until the beginning of World War II. These were the precursors to the Hamamatsu Festival.

Just three years after World War II, the festival was revived as a kite-flying contest in 1948, until it was renamed Hamamatsu Matsuri (Hamamatsu Festival) in 1950, becoming the large celebration filled with kites and floats that we know now. Kites aside, what sets Hamamatsu Festival apart from many other festivals is that it’s one of the few that aren’t tied to a shrine or temple; it’s a festival for and by the townspeople.

From May 3 to 5 each year, Hamamatsu Festival takes place at two main areas in the city: the vicinity of Hamamatsu Station and the Nakatajima area.

The latter, which is home to a famous local attraction called the Nakatajima Sand Dunes, is where you’ll want to be for the exciting kite-flying action. Here, more than 170 large and colorful kites, all bearing crests representing a variety of neighborhoods, fly high over the skies.

Kicking off the festivities is a hatsudako ceremony — kite flying in honor of firstborn children. Conveying parents’ wishes for their children to grow up strong and healthy, townspeople dressed in their representative happi coats fly celebratory kites, as firstborn children also dressed in coats watch on with their parents.

Then, the showdown begins! The most thrilling portion of this festival is the kite battles, typically held on May 4 and 5, as May 3 is devoted to hatsudako. To up the ante, kites are entwined together with string, and the goal is to cut opponents’ strings using nothing but friction to burn them. This gets not only the players but also the onlookers in a frenzy; it’s a spectacle you shouldn’t miss!

Meanwhile, the streets near Hamamatsu Station come aglow at night as around 80 ornate floats called goten-yatai, each representing a different neighborhood, are paraded around town to the accompaniment of children playing traditional music. The sounds of drums, flutes, and festival chants reverberate as the floats make their way around the city center.

Simultaneously held with or in between the kite battles and the parade are a host of other attractions and activities in both areas: food and merchandise stalls, smaller stages and parades, kite-making workshops, and more.

For those spending an entire day at the Hamamatsu Festival, we recommend heading to the Nakatajima area first, as the kites are only flown during daylight hours from 10 a.m. (or 12 p.m. on the last day) to around 3 p.m. Then, head back to Hamamatsu Station before sundown to catch the procession of floats, which starts at around 6:30 p.m. Before the parade, some floats are displayed around town — usually on Kajimachi-dori Street, allowing visitors to witness the craftsmanship and elaborate details of these floats up close.

Do note that the kite flying and processions may be canceled in the event of inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances and that the schedule of activities is subject to change. We recommend checking the latest information on the Hamamatsu Festival as the event approaches.

While the Hamamatsu Festival is already enough to keep you entertained for at least a day, how about checking out what else Hamamatsu has to offer while you’re at it?

For starters, Hamamatsu is home to scenic Lake Hamana. The area surrounding this lagoon offers an array of attractions and activities such as Hamamatsu Flower Park, breathtaking aerial views of the lake from the Kanzanji Ropeway, lakeside cycling, water sports such as kayaking and windsurfing, cruises around the lake, and even hot spring bathing at Kanzanji Onsen.

Lake Hamana is known for its stunning sunset. A small island called Bentenjima, a favorite summer hangout for locals due to its beach, attracts photographers during the winter solstice for the view of the sun, appearing to set into a “floating” torii gate facing the island.

Additionally, Hamamatsu is nicknamed the “city of music” as it is the birthplace of several leading brands in the musical instruments industry: Yamaha, Roland, and Kawai. If you’re into music, visit the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments — the only publicly owned museum of its kind in Japan — and Yamaha Innovation Road.

Other attractions include Hamamatsu Castle at the city center, the Nakatajima Sand Dunes, which are one of the three largest sand dunes in Japan, and the Hamamatsu Festival Pavilion.

Don’t forget to try Hamamatsu’s local specialties, too; it’s known for eel and gyoza (Japanese potstickers) !

With Shizuoka being part of Japan’s central region, Chubu, there’s no shortage of convenient transportation options leading to Hamamatsu. It helps that this city is a major industrial hub.

Strategically located between Tokyo and Kyoto (and its neighboring city, Osaka), Hamamatsu is a stop on the Tokaido Shinkansen. This means that you can reach Hamamatsu from Tokyo, Kyoto, or Shin-Osaka Station in an hour and a half via Shinkansen.

Those on a tighter budget can take local JR trains from the cities mentioned above to get to Hamamatsu in around four hours. Buses also link Hamamatsu to these cities, with an average one-way journey of four to five hours.

Hamamatsu is also quite close to Nagoya, which is part of the Chubu region and a major transport hub. From Nagoya, you can get to Hamamatsu in 40 minutes by Shinkansen, or roughly one hour and 40 minutes by local train.

To get to the Nakatajima venue from Hamamatsu Station, take a bus bound for the Nakatajima Sand Dunes. The ride will take about 20 minutes, and the festivities are a few steps away from the dunes. Shuttle buses directly linking Hamamatsu Station and the Nakatajima venue are usually available during the festival.

If you’d prefer to stay near Hamamatsu Station, you’re in luck, as a range of business hotels are located just a short walk away. Examples include Hotel Select Inn Hamamatsu Ekimae, Hotel Ascent Hamamatsu, EN Hotel Hamamatsu, Hamamatsu Station Hotel, and Hamamatsu Terminal Hotel — all of which are reasonably priced and less than five minutes on foot from Hamamatsu Station.

For a Lake Hamana getaway, pamper yourself with a stay at a ryokan like Hamanako Kanzanji Onsen Hotel Kikusuitei with its tranquil open-air baths, one of which overlooks the lake. Kanzanji Sago Royal Hotel also boasts an open-air bath with gorgeous views.