Miare Festival

What Is the Miare Festival?

The Miare Festival is a maritime rite that opens the autumn grand festival of Munakata Taisha shrine in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture. Munakata Taisha, which enshrines the three Munakata goddesses, comprises three shrines—Hetsu-miya, Nakatsu-miya, and Okitsu-miya—and in the Miare Festival a fleet of boats crosses the sea to bring the sacred objects of each deity to the mainland Hetsu-miya in a stirring observance. The sight of several hundred fishing boats streaming across the Genkai Sea, their great catch-flags fluttering, conveys to this day the faith of the people of Munakata, who have lived alongside the sea.

History and Origins

Munakata Taisha is an ancient shrine long revered as a guardian deity of safe sea passage, and is registered as a World Heritage Site under "Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region." The Miare Festival has been handed down as a rite that brings the sacred objects of the goddesses enshrined at Nakatsu-miya on Ōshima and Okitsu-miya on Okinoshima across the sea to the mainland Hetsu-miya, announcing the opening of the autumn grand festival where the three goddesses are gathered together. The word miare is said to mean the appearance or descent of the gods, carrying the sacred sense of welcoming the deities.

Highlights

The greatest attraction is the magnificent maritime parade of boats stretching as far as the eye can see across the Genkai Sea. Fishing boats raising their catch-flags form a procession centered on the sacred vessel bearing the deities, cutting powerfully through the waves. This rite, in which an entire community welcomes the gods crossing the sea, is a form of faith unique to the seafaring people of Munakata, wrapped in a solemn yet lively atmosphere together with the prayers of those who watch from shore.

When It Takes Place

The festival is held each year on 1 October as the opening day of Munakata Taisha's autumn grand festival. As a rite of the autumn grand festival, its season is autumn. Being a maritime rite, its proceedings may be affected by the weather. Visitors are advised to confirm the latest dates and viewing information through Munakata Taisha's official announcements.

Access

Munakata Taisha's Hetsu-miya can be reached by bus from Tōgō Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line. Located midway between Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu City, it is easily visited from both. To reach Ōshima, the departure point of the maritime rite, ferries and passenger boats run from Kōnominato Port. By car, nearby parking is available, but heavy crowds are expected on the day of the festival.

Around the Area

Munakata Taisha is a sacred site of faith forming part of the World Heritage listing, and its treasure hall displays many objects excavated from Okinoshima and designated national treasures. On Ōshima, floating in the Genkai Sea, visitors can visit Nakatsu-miya and the Okitsu-miya distant-worship hall and engage with the story of the sea and the gods. Together with the seafood-rich cuisine of Munakata and the surrounding coastal scenery, it is an area where one can savor a world of maritime worship that has continued since ancient times.

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