Nagasaki Kunchi: The Dragon Dances and Dutch Ships of Japan's Port City

For three days each autumn, the port city of Nagasaki turns into a stage. A dragon of cloth and bamboo, carried by a team of dancers, spins across the stone steps of a hillside shrine. A float shaped like a trading ship rolls through the courtyard, drawn by a team of townspeople. Spectators call out "Mottekoi!" (roughly "bring it back") to ask for an encore, and the performers oblige.

This is the Nagasaki Kunchi, held every year on October 7, 8 and 9 and dedicated to Suwa Shrine, the guardian shrine of the city. Few Japanese festivals show their international roots so openly: Japanese folk dance, Chinese-style dragon dances and a comic dance inspired by Dutch traders all share the stage. This guide explains how the festival began, how the town-by-town rotation works, what the famous dances are, and how to see them.

How Kunchi Began

According to the festival's official history, Kunchi began in 1634, when two women from the Dayu-machi quarter, named Takao and Otoha, dedicated a noh song called Komee to Suwa Shrine. That same year saw the beginning of construction of Dejima, the small artificial island where Dutch traders were later based, and the building of the stone Meganebashi bridge. The festival grew alongside the city's role as Japan's window to the outside world during the Edo period.

Support from the Nagasaki magistrates, the officials who governed the city for the shogunate, helped make the festival popular, and many foreign-influenced performances were added. The festival is now the autumn festival of Suwa Shrine, which stands on a hill above the city, and its history of nearly four centuries is celebrated each time it is held. Some of the dances are designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan.

What "Kunchi" Means

The name Kunchi is commonly explained as coming from kunichi, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, a day associated with autumn celebrations in the Chinese calendar. According to the official site, the Chinese custom of marking this day is the origin of the name. Over time the sound softened to "Kunchi," and the dates settled as October 7, 8 and 9 in the modern calendar.

The festival is also written Okunchi, with the polite prefix o. Its roots lie in an autumn harvest celebration of the late sixteenth century, which became a shrine festival after Suwa Shrine was founded in 1614, and the celebration originally ran from the seventh to the ninth day of the month, which is why the modern dates keep that pattern.

Odori-cho: The Dance Towns

Nagasaki's festival is organised by odori-cho (dance towns), the neighbourhoods that take turns presenting performances. There are 58 dance towns today, divided into seven groups, and each group takes the stage once every seven years. Originally the system involved 77 neighbourhoods, in rotating groups of 11, but the number of participating towns has fallen since the nineteenth century while the seven-year cycle has continued.

Preparation is long: rehearsals for the dragon dance begin as early as June 1. Before the festival, the presenting neighbourhoods also hold a custom called niwamise (garden showing), opening their homes to public viewing, which is still practised today. Because of the rotation, a visitor who attends once may see an entirely different line-up if they return after a year.

The Famous Dances

The dragon dance (ja odori) is the best known. It is said to have originated with Nagasaki's Chinese community, who performed it on New Year's Eve, and a team of dancers controls a large dragon puppet on poles, making it twist and coil across the stage. The whale-spouting dance (kujira no shiofuki) uses a large model whale that blows water. The kokkodesho is a spirited performance in which many bearers carry a big prop to the beat of drums. These three are designated national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.

Another favourite is the oranda manzai, a comic dance that began as a caricature of the Dutch residents of Dejima. Floats shaped like trading ships, whales and war vessels add to the spectacle. Katsugimono (carried props) and kasaboko, decorated umbrellas that can weigh up to 150 kilograms, show the strength of the teams. Music is played by flutes and taiko drums in a style called shagiri.

Festival Customs

Performers also parade through the city in niwasaki mawari (garden-front tours), visiting shops, homes and offices to bring good fortune. Along the way they toss makimono, gift towels, to the crowd, and the teams present teijofuda, placards of greeting. Donations called ohana are given to the teams as a sign of support.

Mikoshi (portable shrines) carrying the deity rest at the Otabisho, the temporary resting place for the festival, which is surrounded by food stalls. The Shinto parts of the festival form the heart of the event: the dances are offerings to the deity, performed first at Suwa Shrine before the teams head out into the streets. This combination of religion, neighbourhood life and showmanship is what makes Kunchi unique.

A Port City Between Cultures

The mixture seen in Kunchi reflects Nagasaki's history. During the Edo period the shogunate tightly limited foreign trade, and Nagasaki was the port where Dutch and Chinese merchants were allowed to do business. The Dutch lived on Dejima, and Chinese residents brought their own customs, including the dragon dance. Over time these influences found their way into the shrine festival as performances.

Spare an hour or two before or after the festival for nearby sights that tell the same story, such as Meganebashi, the stone bridge built in 1634, Kofukuji Temple, a Chinese-style temple, and the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture. Seeing the city's streets and harbour helps explain why a Japanese shrine festival has dragons, whales and Dutch ships in its cast.

Where to Watch

There are four main performance sites: Suwa Shrine, Chuo Park, Yasaka Shrine and the Otabisho. Paid seating requires advance tickets, which sell out weeks ahead and often use Japanese-language booking systems. Free viewing is possible from non-paid areas and along the streets of the city centre, but these spots can be extremely crowded. The Kamome Hiroba in front of Nagasaki Station has also hosted free performances in past years.

Chuo Park has individual seat tickets, which helps solo travellers who do not want to buy a group box. Ask at the Nagasaki Station tourist information centre or your hotel for a festival schedule map, which shows where each performing town will be at what time. The schedule can change from year to year, so check the official site for the current programme before you go.

Plan Your Visit

Nagasaki is compact and easy to explore on foot and by the city's streetcars. Staying near Nagasaki Station or Suwa Shrine makes it simple to reach the venues. From Fukuoka, take the Relay Kamome limited express from Hakata to Takeo Onsen, about an hour, and then the Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen to Nagasaki, about 30 minutes.

Out of season, the Nagasaki Traditional Performing Arts Museum in Minamiyamate-cho displays Kunchi floats and festival items, with video exhibits and a small gift shop. Book accommodation well in advance, wear comfortable shoes for the steps at Suwa Shrine, and carry water on warm autumn days. The festival is a sacred offering, so keep a respectful distance from the performers and follow the instructions of the staff.