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:
Ebisu Drift Matsuri in 2025:
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).
| Website | https://www.ebisu-circuit.com/ |
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| Best Season |
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| Access | Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Pref. 964-0088 View directions |
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| 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). |
A rural landing field located 10 km Northwest of central Fukushima City. Starting with the Azuma Mountain range, the beautiful mountain vistas surrounding this massive location will leave you mesmerized. In addition to aircraft take-off and landing practice, it is possible to use the Fukushima Sky Park for various events. It is widely used for music events, automobile and motorcycle test drives, and a test venue for public organizations.
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!
Try matcha green tea in a traditional tea house in Suirakuen Garden, located inside Nanko Park. Suirakuen Garden is also a popular place to visit for its fall foliage.
The Bandai-Azuma Skyline is one of the top cycling routes of Japan! The route brings cyclists through dense green forests to volcanic terrain and sweeping views of Fukushima city and the volcanic peak of Mt. Kofuji, or “Little Fuji”. In autumn this course is warmed by vibrant autumn leaves, that make for a magical ride! Fukushima has routes for cyclists of all levels! Click here for more information about Cycling Courses and Events in Fukushima! (Click here to read our blog about cycling the scenic Bandai-Azuma Skyline!)
The Fukushima Fireworks Festival is something of a local pride in Fukushima City. Around 8,000 fireworks of a huge variety of explode against the night sky. The firework line-up even includes fireworks that are specifically designed for things such as warding away evil, and granting wishes!
One of the largest scale events in the prefecture, this fireworks show features stunning firework displays, a hanabi-e-maki performance which combines music and fireworks, and displays from firework masters throughout Japan. Around 10,000 fireworks can be enjoyed during this 1.5 hour event.
At Usokae Festival, held in Iizaka Onsen Town, visitors buy lucky, hand-carved, wooden birds called ‘Usokae’. ‘Usokae’ translates as ‘changing lies’. Visitors who buy an Usokae bird must think of a ‘lie’ – i.e. something they don’t want to happen – which will in turn be changed to good luck to make sure that thing doesn’t occur by the birds by the end of the year. For example, you could think “I won’t pass my school exam” when you buy the bird, and by the end of the year, the bird will help you pass it! This is a unique local festival, and the hand-carved Usokae birds make very charming gifts too!
With a history stretching back over 400 years, the Taimatsu Akashi is one of the three major fire festivals in Japan. As the night grows darker and the bonfires flare brightly here and there around the venue, groups of local junior high and senior high school students march through the town carrying 30 8-meter-long wooden torches called Hon-taimatsu, which they created by themselves, followed by a group of young men carrying the huge wooden torch called the Dai-taimatsu (10 meters long and weighing about 3 tons), and a group of women carrying a smaller wooden torch called the Hime-taimatsu (6 meters long and weighing 1 ton). These torches are carried to the top of Mt. Gorozan.There is also a wooden frame depicting Sukagawa Castle and a group of samurai warriors. As the drummers from Oushu Sukagawa Taimatsu-Daiko Hozonkai powerfully beat their Taimatsu-Daiko drums, the torches and the wooden frame are lit with a sacred fire carried up by a group of runners from Nikaido Shrine. The whole mountain looks as if it is on fire. The combination of fire and the beating of the drums is reminiscent of the days in the Warring States period. Local students form chanting squads to cheer on their torch as it burns - this main section with the flaming torches takes around an hour.In recent years, this traditional event has become well known as a participatory festival, allowing neighborhood associations, local elementary school pupils, and tourists to join the parade to Mt. Gorozan, each carrying a thin torchwood called a Sho-taimatsu (10 cm in diameter).2024 ROUTE MAP IN ENGLISHThe schedule for the 2024 festival was as follows:11:00 Midorigaoka Park Grass SquareFood and drink corner 13:00-16:00 tetteSmall torch making cornerNote: After making your torch, you can join the small torch procession at 17.15. 13:00-16:00 Taimatsu Street Sukagawa Shinkin Bank Head Office (Parking Lot)Commemorative photo with warriors in armorFree Sengoku Nabe (pork soup) while stocks lastSale of agricultural productsShizuoka City Specialty Products CornerTaimatsu Akashi Historic Site and Battlefield Walk Meeting Point (15:15)Karate demonstration 13:30-14:10 In front of Yoshida Clinic on Taimatsu StreetTorch presentation 14:00 Torch Street Miyasakicho areaSukagawa First Junior High School torch parade start 15:00 In front of Yoshida Clinic on Taimatsu StreetLarge torch departure 17:30-17:45 Nikaido ShrineSacred fire offering ceremony (receiving the sacred fire to light the torch) 17:00 (scheduled) Myoken Children's ParkLocal organisations torch procession starts 17:15-18:00 Miharashibashi Parking Lot General torch procession startsPlease participate with small torches made at the small torch crafting corner.Small torches will also be available for purchase (500 yen each, limited to 100) 18:00-19:45 Mt. Goro Special StageTaiko drum performances 18:30 Mt. Goro main festival areaThe large torch and 20 main torches are lit in sequence.