Otaru, a popular tourist destination in Hokkaido, has its biggest summer event, the Otaru Ushio Festival. In 2025, the festival will be held from July 25th (Friday) to 27th (Sunday), starting with the "Shio Furekomi" dance through the town, and culminating with a huge fireworks display on the final day. This time, we will introduce the highlights of the Otaru Ushio Festival, which attracts over 1 million visitors every year.

The Otaru Ushio Festival began in 1967, and this year will be the 59th. It is a citizen-participation festival that began to bring vitality to the town, as a way of expressing gratitude to the sea and praying for the development of Otaru. This year, the festival will be held for three days from July 25th (Friday) to 27th (Sunday) under the theme of "The heartbeat of our hometown resonating with the tides."

On the first day, to announce the start of the festival to the whole city, a "Shiofurekomi" dance procession is held. The Shiofurekomi starts from Yanagawa-dori Street with floats and the sound of shiodaiko drums, and proceeds to the base of Otaru Port Pier No. 3, the main venue.

The opening ceremony includes an offering of sacred water pumped from Ishikari Bay, a lighting ceremony, and a dance performance on stage with the tide coming in.

On the second day, neighborhood associations, schools, and companies in the city form groups and parade to the tune of Ushio Ondo from the shopping street "Sun Mall Ichibangai" in the city center to the harbor in the "Shio Nerikomi" procession. There is also a "Tobiiri DE Odori Tai" that you can join in on the day from the roadside.

On the final day, several groups of people carry the mikoshi from Sun Mall Ichibangai to the main venue in a heroic manner. The sight of the mikoshi swaying along to the spirited shouts is a spectacular sight.

On the final day, Sunday the 27th, there will be a drone show from 19:40, followed by a grand fireworks display from 20:00. The drone show will feature the lyrics and score of the classic song "Love Will Win" projected into the night sky of Otaru using a drone, while the grand fireworks display will feature approximately 5,000 fireworks, bringing the festival to a close. A paid viewing area (3 Minatomachi, Otaru) will be set up for the fireworks display, where visitors can also enjoy the fireworks reflected on the sea.

*Image is for illustrative purposes only.

Enjoy Otaru's biggest summer event, the Otaru Ushio Festival!

In addition, there will be various stage shows at the main venue, as well as food and festival tents and food trucks, all of which will liven up the three days of summer in Otaru. Come and join us at Otaru's biggest summer festival!

*Photos show past events.

The 59th Otaru Tide Festival

■Date and time: Friday, July 25th to Sunday, July 27th, 2025 ■Main venue (stage, stalls): Otaru Port Pier No. 3 base / Tide-in, tide-kneading, mikoshi parade start: city center Click here for map information and details of the 59th Otaru Ushio Festival

*The information posted is current as of the time of publication. *The information posted may be subject to change, so please check the official website for the latest information.

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