The largest racing festival in Japan! Show off your manliness in fast drifting at the Kishiwada Racing Festival in Osaka

The Osaka "Kishiwada Car Festival" (岸和田だんじり祭), known as the most dangerous festival in Japan, will be held from September 14 to September 15 and October 12 to October 13 in 2024. Do you want to see the exciting scene of 500 people working together to drag a 4-ton wooden car on the street at full speed and not slowing down when turning? Don't miss it!



A passionate festival with a history of over 300 years: Kishiwada Car Festival

For the people of Kishiwada City, "car pulling" may be an activity that better expresses their love and passion for their hometown than ordinary sports events! The "Kishiwada Car Festival", a traditional festival that has been closely linked to local people since birth, has a history of over 300 years. The biggest attraction is that about 500 people work together to pull a 4-ton wooden car, running at full speed on the streets, and even when encountering a turn, they do not slow down, and they perform superb "tail-swinging" skills!



The people standing on the roof of the wooden cart holding fans are called carpenters (大工方). At first glance, they look like they are dancing, but they are actually directing the people pulling the wooden cart with the round fans and movements. For example, when they hit the left edge of the roof with the round fans, it means to turn left sharply; if they hit it lightly, it means to turn slightly. The superb teamwork is also one of the highlights of the festival.

Tram: Known as Moving Artwork

The Kishiwada Tram Festival has about 34 trams every year, and each tram takes about a year to build. The biggest feature of the Kishiwada Tram is that it does not add gold foil or paint. It is all up to the craftsmen to carve out lifelike figures, arabesques and other patterns on the wooden trams, and the exquisite craftsmanship of telling folk legends with exquisite carvings also makes the Kishiwada Tram known as "moving art."




The beauty of both movement and stillness

Unlike the passionate rush of the day, at around 19:00, the Kishiwada Tramway will light up 200 lanterns on the tram and perform a "night drag" that presents an elegant and solemn static beauty. At this time, children will also join the tram pulling, showing the unity of the Kishiwada citizens and their love for local traditional culture. It is highly recommended for those who want to carefully appreciate the exquisite carvings on the tram and enjoy the festival!



"Kishiwada Car Festival" event information

・Event location: Kishiwada Castle (9-1 Kishijo-cho, Kishiwada City) area
・Event period: September 14 (Sat) to September 15 (Sun) 2024, and October 12 (Sat) to October 13 (Sun) 2024
・Event time: ① September 14 and October 12: 06:00-22:00 ② September 15: 09:00-22:00
③ October 13: 07:00-22:00
・Transportation: Take the Nankai Main Line from Osaka Metro "Namba Station" to "Kishiwada Station" and walk for about 15 minutes