🎎 Nagasaki Dragon Boat Championship

The origin of dragon boat racing, the ancestor of rowing competitions in Japan, can be traced back about 360 years. It began when ships from the Tang Dynasty, docked in Nagasaki Port, were wrecked due to a storm. To appease the anger of the sea god, a rowing competition among fishermen was held as the origin of the event. Since then, it has become an annual event held during the Dragon Boat Festival in the fifth month of the lunar calendar. Nowadays, preliminary rounds are held in various regions every summer, culminating in the "Nagasaki Dragon Boat Championship" on the last Sunday of July for the finals. The competition uses wooden boats that are about 14 meters long, with a limit of 30 people on board, including drummers and gong players who must also row. The thrilling scene of teams racing simultaneously over a distance of 1150 meters from start to finish is exhilarating. Not only can spectators watch from the dock, but they can also take sightseeing boats for a closer view of the competition. Various activities, including dragon boat rowing experiences, are held on the day of the event.

Originating 360 years ago, the Sea Festival began to appease the anger of the sea god. The finals are held on the last Sunday of July each year to determine the winning team. Multiple wooden boats compete fiercely along a 1150-meter course.