Makurazaki Black Tide Festival 2026: Guide to Kyushu's Largest Fi
Kyushu-Okinawa · KagoshimaFestival
A bonito port at the southern tip of Satsuma throws its harbour open for two days, and closes with what the city calls the largest firework shell in Kyushu.
Overview
The Satsuma Kuroshio “Kibaran-kai” Makurazaki Port Festival (さつま黒潮「きばらん海」枕崎港まつり) has been held since August 1951. Makurazaki is one of Japan’s major katsuo (skipjack tuna) ports, and the festival is a fishing town’s prayer for safe voyages and big catches as much as a summer party.
The name Kuroshio refers to the warm current that runs past the southern Satsuma coast and brings the bonito with it. “Kibaran-kai” is local dialect meaning roughly “let’s give it our all”.
It runs along the coastal road and around the fishing port itself, which gives it a very different feel from an inland matsuri — boats, harbour walls and open sea rather than shrine streets.
When and Where
The 2026 festival was held on 1 and 2 August. The fireworks were on the Sunday, 2 August, starting at 20:00, with the finale three-shaku shell launched at 20:40. Daytime programme times were not published.
The venue is the Makurazaki coastal road and the fishing port area, around Matsunoo-cho, Makurazaki City, Kagoshima Prefecture.
What to Expect
The two days split between community performance and food on one side, and the harbour fireworks on the other.
- Day one (1 August) features a brass band, a dance performance by the group Fam, Hi-no-Kami taiko drumming, and massed So-odori dance troupes.
- Day two (2 August) brings out the Tairyo mikoshi — the “big catch” portable shrine — along with stage bands.
- Free servings of fisherman’s hotpot and katsuo tataki (seared bonito) are given out on the second day.
- The finale is a three-shaku-dama shell, described by the city as the largest in Kyushu, funded by public donations. 2026 was the 17th year of the fundraising, with a three million yen target.
- Kagoshima Prefecture’s tourism federation gives a reference figure of roughly 10,000 shells and around 80,000 visitors, based on 2024.
Tickets and Admission
The festival is free to attend. Paid seating is mentioned only by non-official listings and was not confirmed on the city or prefectural pages.
The city warns that traffic becomes very heavy and advises allowing one and a half to two times the normal travel time.
Tips for Visitors
- Makurazaki is a long way from Kagoshima city — roughly two and a half hours by train — so treat it as an overnight rather than a day trip.
- Stay through to 20:40 on the Sunday for the three-shaku shell; it is the single thing the festival is known for.
- Try the katsuo while you are there; Makurazaki is also the centre of katsuobushi (dried bonito) production, and the shops sell it year-round.
- The harbour is exposed and breezy after dark even in August; bring a light layer.
Access and Map
| Dates | 1–2 August 2026; fireworks 2 August from 20:00, three-shaku shell at 20:40 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Makurazaki coastal road and Makurazaki fishing port area |
| Address | Around Matsunoo-cho, Makurazaki City, Kagoshima |
| Access | JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line from Kagoshima-Chuo about 2 hr 30 min, or from Ibusuki about 1 hr 20 min. Kagoshima Kotsu bus from Kagoshima-Chuo about 1 hr 40 min. By car about 90 minutes from Kagoshima IC via the Nansatsu Jukan Road |
| Admission | Free to attend |
| Official site | city.makurazaki.lg.jp |
Source: Makurazaki City official website
Image: Photo: Umako / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 — license
