Ogisode Kiriko Matsuri 2026 Experience
The Ogisode Kiriko Matsuri brings about nine Kiriko through Ogi, Noto Town, a fishing community known for its squid industry. Their unusual kite-like shape move around the harbor with their lights reflecting across the water at night. The festival’s highlight is the difficult climb up the steep stone steps to Mifune Shrine, followed by an equally dramatic descent.
A Brief History
The Kiriko tradition in Ogi dates back to the Meiji period. Records from the late 19th century describe much larger Kiriko, with some measuring about 20 meters wide and 8.2 meters high. They were later reduced in size after electrical wires were installed in 1914. The festival’s Sode Kiriko are named for their sleeve-like shape and are thought to have been influenced by the culture of the Japan Sea region, with their warrior paintings showing similarities to Nebuta.
Festival Experience
We left Suzu at around 5 PM. The plan was to see the Ogisode Kiriko Matsuri during the day, around sunset, and when the Kiriko were lit up early at night. A coworker accompanied me to the festival.
The guidance of my coworker, who is a local of the town, helped us find the best place to park and understand what would happen and where the procession would take place. Just a few steps away from where we parked, we saw one Kiriko standing by. Then we spotted another one a few streets away. This time, although the Kiriko was parked, children were already playing the taiko drums.
We walked around the coast, looking for the Kiriko scattered throughout the town. In the end, we saw around four Kiriko, each with a different design. After documenting the Kiriko while there was still daylight, we decided to take a break and buy some festival food. Of course, it had to be squid, as it is one of the specialties of the town. I bought squid yakisoba and squid balls, which, by the way, were super good!
After our food break, we continued walking around the town. We eventually saw the Kiriko on the move. Unlike the other types of Kiriko I had seen, these Kiriko were mainly pushed or pulled. You could also see that the shape of this type of Kiriko is inherently different from the others. This made me wonder: what makes a Kiriko a Kiriko?
Personally, I like seeing Kiriko around sunset. Being able to see the details of the Kiriko while also seeing them lit up is something I especially appreciate as someone with poor eyesight at night. The different Kiriko each had their own lighting effects. Depending on their design, the lights gave each one a different atmosphere, creating an impression that was quite different from seeing them in daylight.
That night, we went to the place where the Kiriko were supposed to gather. To our surprise, they were not gathering in a line at all and seemed to have their own routes. Since we were not planning to stay for long, we decided to look around the area one last time before heading home. Fortunately, we were able to witness one of the most distinctive parts of the festival: the Kiriko were intentionally crashed into each other.
Later that night, during the climax of the festival, the Kiriko ascended the stairs one by one. We were not able to stay long enough to see this ourselves, but according to stories from my coworkers, it was an impressive sight. We left Ogisode and headed back to Suzu around 7 PM.
