Ebisu Drift Matsuri (Ebisu Drift Festival)

Ebisu Drift Matsuri (Ebisu Drift Festival)

See our total guide to the festival for details on ticket prices, things to do in the area and more.

The Ebisu Circuit is a famous car racing track and drifting school in Nihonmatsu. Three times a year, it holds the Ebisu Drift Matsuri (Ebisu Drift Festival), a thrilling event that gathers car drifting fans from across Japan and abroad.

The festival usually goes from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon, during which participants can drift all day and night in the designated courses for a set fee. 

There are typically three Drift Festivals a year:

  • Spring Drift Festival (ドリフト春祭り): Usually held in April
  • Summer Drift Festival (ドリフト夏祭り): Usually held in August
  • Autumn Drift Festival (ドリフト秋祭り): Usually held in November

Ebisu Drift Matsuri in 2025:

  • Spring: April 19th & 20th (Sat/Sun)
  • Summer: August 23rd & 24th (Sat/Sun)
  • Autumn: November 15th & 16th (Sat/Sun)

Participating in the Drift Festival is a perfect opportunity to get the most out of a visit to the Ebisu Circuit. For instance, using the racing courses at the Circuit would normally require a reservation, but, during the event, participants are free to use the course of their liking between the available options. 

Because of that, cars run right next to each other, making the already exciting prospect of drifting even more adrenaline-packed!

To participate, you can register at the website before the event. 

Even if you cannot drive, you can make your way there to watch the incredible maneuvers of drifters as they screech their way through the courses. A big allure of the festival is the atmosphere of being among drivers and car enthusiasts.

For updated information, please refer to the official site of the Ebisu Circuit (in Japanese).

2025 Event Dates for Ebisu Circuit (in Japanese)

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://www.ebisu-circuit.com/
Best Season
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
Access Details
AccessSawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Pref. 964-0088
View directions
Getting there

By Public Transportation from Tokyo: Tohoku, Yamagata or Akita Shinkansen (from Tokyo Sta. or Ueno Sta.) to Koriyama Sta [郡山駅] (~1 hour 20 minutes). From there, take a JR Tohoku Line train to Nihonmatsu Sta. [二本松駅] (~25 minutes). At Nihonmatsu Station, take a rental car or a taxi to Ebisu Circuit. It takes between 3 to 3.5 hours to get from Tokyo to Ebisu Circuit from Tokyo using this route.

By Car: Approximately 3.5 hours from Tokyo Station (275 km) via the Tohoku Expressway, or 3.5 hours from Narita Airport (285 km) via the Joban Expressway and the Iwaki Niigata Route/Trans-Tohoku Expressway/Ban-Etsu Expressway (please note that roads may have tolls).

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
Cultural Experiences

Design Your Own Shirakawa Daruma

There are records of Shirakawa Daruma (Japanese traditional dolls) being sold as far back as the feudal reign of the Niwa Domain in 1627. Current Shirakawa Daruma are known as “Shirakawa Tsurugame Shochikubai Daruma.” The faces of these dolls are painted to incorporate various animals and plants, with the eyebrows representing cranes, the mustache representing a turtle, the ears representing pines and plum trees, and the beard representing bamboo or pine trees. All of these images are thought to bring good luck. The daruma is known to be a very classical, lucky talisman, started by Matsudaira Sadanobu, the lord of Shirakawa, when he hired the renowned painter Tani Buncho to paint the now famous face on the daruma doll. Once every year a large Shirakawa Daruma Market is held to celebrate and sell the beloved daruma dolls. You can paint your own daruma at the two daruma workshops in town!

The World Glassware Hall
Cultural Experiences

Sukagawa Enobori Yoshinoya Workshop

Established in 1836, the Yoshinoya family has been continuing the production of Enobori banners using traditional techniques. Originally the family business was a kimono shop, however, the side business of painting Enobori banners began to grow until is eventually became their main business.These banners typically feature images of warriors and can be quite complex with their designs. They are made by painting on banners with a type of calligraphy ink.To create clean and uniform design, stencils are made from various materials to be used as a guide for the design. Once the basic design is painted with a stencil, you connect the lines and add fine details by hand.As a nod to a famous Sukagawa person, they began creating a design of Ultraman posing as a samurai warrior! You can try out the traditional banner making method explained above to create tote bags and small banners featuring a variety of samurai and Ultraman samurai designs.©円谷プロ

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