Miare Festival

宗像大社秋季大祭

Part of Munakata Taisha Shrine’s Autumn Festival (October 1 - 3), the Miare Festival is a ritual that takes place at sea to invite and welcome the goddesses from Oshima Fishing Port to Konominato Fishing Port. It is a powerful event in which about 300 fishing boats (lead by two gorgeous boats that carry a portable shrine) parade spectacularly around the sound between Oshima and the mainland.
In addition, about 300 stalls line the shrine grounds during the festival, drawing many visitors!

Address (Japanese)	福岡県宗像市神湊
Address	On the Sound between Oshima and Konominato in Munakata City
Telephone Number	0940-62-1311（宗像大社）
Contact	Munakata Taisha Shrine
Open	October 1 every year
Car Park	Available; Free (Parking at Hetsu-Miya at Munakata Taisha Shrine)
Access	【To Munakata Taisha Shrine’s Nakatsu-Miya】 From JR Togo Station on the Kagoshima Main Line, take the Nishitetsu Bus bound for Fukuma via Konominato and get off at the Konominato Hatoba stop (about a 15 minute ride). Then, take the municipal boat, “Shiokaze” (about a 15 minute ride), OR a ferry, “Oshima” (about a 25 minute ride), from Port Konominato to Port Oshima. 【To Munakata Taisha Shrine’s Hetsu-Miya】 By car - About a 20 minute drive from the Wakamiya Interchange OR a 25 minute drive from the Koga Interchange off the Kyushu Expressway By train and bus - From JR Togo Station, take the Nishitetsu Bus bound for Konominato Hatoba via Munakata Taisha and get off at the Munakata Taisha Mae stop (about a 20 minute ride)