Published October 20, 2026 at 3:09 PM JST
In the river town of Kanie, Aichi, glowing lantern boats sail upstream by night and flower-decked boats follow by morning, in a festival whose rituals stretch across about 100 days.
Quick answer: The Sunari Festival is held in the Sunari district of Kanie Town, Aichi Prefecture, usually on the first Saturday evening and Sunday morning of August, with organizers setting the exact days each year. Lantern-covered boats called makiwara-bune sail up the Kanie River at night, and doll-carrying danjiri-bune follow in the morning. The related rituals last about 100 days, which gives it the nickname Hyakunichi Matsuri, and it is one of the 33 float festivals on UNESCO's list.
A Festival on the Water
Most float festivals in Japan are parades on land, but the Sunari Festival takes place on a river. It belongs to the Sunari district of Kanie, a town in Ama District in the western part of Aichi Prefecture, a short trip from Nagoya. Here the main characters are boats instead of wheeled floats. At night, a boat covered with hundreds of lanterns glides up the Kanie River. The next morning, a different boat, decorated with blossoming branches and carrying dolls and musicians, follows the same route.
The festival is a joint celebration of two local shrines, Tomiyoshi Tatehaya Shrine and Hakkensha Shrine (the English spelling used by the prefectural tourism guide). It is also known by a nickname, the 100-Day Festival, because the associated rituals and preparations run for roughly 100 days around the main weekend, from about July to October.
Kanie itself is a small town, and the river is part of its identity. Watching the lanterns reflected on the water in the dark is one of the most atmospheric scenes in Aichi's festival calendar, and visitors can enjoy it without needing any background knowledge.
History and Origins
The festival has roots in a belief in the deity Tenno that was meant to ward off epidemics, according to the town of Kanie. Its exact origin is unclear, but it is thought to have been held already in the Edo period, and it is recorded in a village survey compiled in the Kanbun era, between 1661 and 1673. The prefectural tourism guide describes it as having about 400 years of history.
Japan designated the festival a national important intangible folk cultural property in 2012. In 2016, it was inscribed by UNESCO as one of the 33 Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals of Japan. Kanie's version is notable for being a boat festival on a river, and the town describes it as consisting of two main parts: the danjiri-bune boat ceremony and a ritual called Miyoshi Nagashi.
The town's historical folk museum looks after information about the festival, and local volunteers and shrine groups carry out the rituals. For a visitor, knowing that the festival is a living tradition of a close community adds depth to the evening and morning scenes.
The Boats and the Lanterns
On the first evening, a boat called the makiwara-bune takes center stage. According to the prefectural guide, it carries 12 lanterns on a vertical pole, which becomes 13 in a leap year, 365 lanterns arranged in a semicircle, and 30 small red lanterns. The numbers match the calendar: the town explains that the central pole represents the months of the year, the front of the boat the days of a month, and the round platform the days of a year. The result is a boat shaped like a glowing calendar.
On the second morning, the makiwara boat is changed into a danjiri-bune, a boat that carries dolls and is decorated with plum and cherry blossom branches. The prefectural guide says that figures of Izanagi and Izanami, the founding deities of Japanese mythology, ride on it, together with musicians and children in traditional dress. The branches add a bright, springlike look in the middle of summer.
Because the boats are built for the river, they have to deal with low bridges. The prefectural guide notes that Miyoshibashi Bridge is too low for the lantern boat, and that one half of it is raised to let the boat pass, an operation that happens only at this time of year.
What Happens During the Main Days
The evening festival, yoimatsuri, usually starts around 8 pm on the first Saturday of August. The lantern boat travels up the river to the area of Tennobashi Bridge, with festival music playing from the boat. According to the prefectural guide, small red lantern shells and rice cakes are thrown to the crowd near Tennobashi Bridge, which gives spectators on the bank a chance to take part.
The morning festival, asamatsuri, takes place on the Sunday, with a start around 9 am in the schedule published for 2026. The danjiri boat follows the same route upriver, accompanied by flutes and drums. At the destination, hayashi music is played in front of the shrine hall, according to the town.
A highlight of the morning is Nage-hana, the flower throwing ritual. Branches of plum and cherry blossom are thrown from the boat to the crowd, first come first served, and people who display them at home are said to be protected from lightning and summer illness. Many visitors treat the branch as a lucky souvenir.
The 100-Day Rituals
What makes the Sunari Festival different from many others is the long ritual sequence around the main weekend, which the town describes in detail. About a week before the morning festival, young people dressed in white travel by boat down the river to cut reeds in a ritual called yoshikari. The reeds are brought to the shrine and treated as sacred objects.
The day after the morning festival, in the ceremony called Miyoshi Nagashi, the reeds carry away the misfortunes of the community and are floated on the river. According to the town, they stay on the water for seven days. Afterward, other reeds are kept on a shelf in the shrine grounds for 70 days and are finally burned in a ritual called tanaoroshi, which closes the whole cycle.
These rituals are mostly quiet and are connected to the community's prayers, but they explain why the festival is called a 100-day event. They also show how the town takes care of the festival over a long season, not only on one weekend.
Visiting Kanie
Kanie Station on the JR Kansai Main Line is about a 15 minute walk to the festival area, according to the prefectural guide, and trains run from Nagoya Station. By car, the town is about 5 minutes east of the Kanie Interchange on the Higashi-Meihan Expressway, and parking is available according to the guide.
The evening festival draws crowds along the riverbank, so arriving early helps in finding a good place to view the boat. Visitors can bring a light jacket, since river banks can be breezy after dark, and patience, since the boat moves slowly and gracefully.
Etiquette is simple. Stay behind any barriers, keep your hands off the boats and decorations, avoid blocking paths, and follow staff instructions, especially near bridges. If you receive a flower branch, handle it with care, as it is considered a blessed item. For up to date information, the Kanie Historical Folk Museum and the Kanie tourism association are the contacts listed by the prefecture, and the official town page lists the yearly schedule.
Why It Is Special
The Sunari Festival combines elements that are rarely seen together: lantern boats, living myth, community prayer and a long annual cycle. It is a good choice for travelers who like quiet beauty as much as spectacle, and for those curious about rural Aichi beyond Nagoya.
UNESCO describes the float festivals as occasions where communities pray for peace and protection from disasters, and where people of all ages share the work of building and operating the floats. In Kanie, that sharing happens on the river, with boats instead of wheeled floats, and the result is one of the most distinctive entries on the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Sunari Festival in Nishio?
No. According to the prefectural tourism guide and the town, the Sunari Festival is held in the Sunari district of Kanie Town, in Ama District, Aichi Prefecture. The town of Kanie organizes information about it.
When is the Sunari Festival held?
It is usually held on the first Saturday evening and the following Sunday morning of August. The organizers set the exact dates and times each year, so check the Kanie town website or the Aichi tourism site before traveling.
Why is it called the 100-Day Festival?
Because the rituals connected with it, from preparations and reed cutting through the final burning of the sacred reeds, last about 100 days around the main weekend, according to the town and the prefectural guide.
Further reading: the UNESCO page for the float festivals, the Aichi tourism page for the Sunari Festival and the Kanie town page about the Sunari Festival (Japanese).
Keep exploring: Kamezaki Shiohi Festival: Giant Floats Rolling Into the Tide; Toride Shrine Kujirabune: Yokkaichi's Land-Based Whale Hunt Floats; Owari Tsushima Tenno Festival: Lantern Boats on a Summer River; Kuwana Ishidori Festival: Japan's Thunderous Gong and Drum Floats.