Kambara Festival

The Kambara Festival is a legendary event ranked one of the Three Great Festivals of Niigata (Niigata Sandai Takamachi) alongside the Murakami Grand Festival in Murakami City and the Enma Market in Kashiwazaki City. Catch the event from June 30 to July 2 at Kambara Shrine and surrounding grounds, drawing a whopping number of some 340,000 visitors each year.

Savvy travelers know that one of the biggest draws here is the sheer scale of the food stalls. The walk up to the shrine is flanked with some 400 stalls as well as out along the main road in front, stretching a total length of about 1 km. Grab a local delight like "Poppo-yaki," a Niigata specialty bite made from flour and brown sugar, or head over for a waltz down memory lane at the haunted houses and shooting galleries. The stalls remain open until around 11pm. making for a steady buzzing energy until night. Expect heavier crowds, especially between 6pm and 9pm, and possible modified traffic guidance making the walk up to the shrine one-way only.

Swing by on July 1st for the Otaku-sen event at Kambara Shrine, a fascinating ritual said to predict the year's rice harvest, and on July 2, head up for a number of authentic rites like Kagura dance performances to pray for a bountiful harvest and more. The Otaku-sen ritual has stayed in practice for 800 years since the Kamakura period and is particularly noteworthy. Given the closure of nearby parking lots during the festival, using public transportation is highly recommended.