Ito River Tub Riding Race

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I wish I could turn a giant wooden tub into a personal watercraft and race down a river like a shampoo bottle in the bath,” well, congratulations: your oddly specific dream has come true in Ito, Japan.

Welcome to the Matsukawa River Tub Riding Race, where dignity goes to take a vacation and fun takes the wheel—or in this case, the washbasin. Held every July in the sleepy hot spring town of Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture, this delightfully bizarre tradition invites anyone and everyone to hop into a large wooden ofuro (bath tub), grab a paddle, and speed-paddle their way down the Matsukawa River to glory.

Let’s just be clear: this is not a high-stakes Olympic qualifier. No one is winning medals. But if there were an Olympic event for joyful absurdity, Japan would absolutely be on the podium.

The whole event is organized by the local community with a wink and a smile, celebrating summer, togetherness, and the simple fact that yes, people really will try to steer a wooden tub through river currents for a t-shirt and bragging rights. And it’s glorious.

Participants include everyone from wide-eyed tourists to senior citizens who seem suspiciously good at this. Kids cheer from the banks. Local vendors sling shaved ice and grilled squid. And every now and then, a poor soul spins in place for 30 seconds straight while the announcer shouts encouragement through a megaphone.

The tubs themselves are wide, round, and surprisingly buoyant. They look like oversized salad bowls. They are not aerodynamic. They are not ergonomic. They are, however, a perfect match for the slow and scenic flow of the Matsukawa River, which politely refuses to move too fast, lest it spill anyone’s dreams—or their dignity.

But the best part of the race isn’t the competition. It’s the vibe. There is no elitism here. No gatekeeping. You don’t have to train. You don’t need gear. You don’t even need balance. You just need to be willing to laugh, splash a little, and maybe shout “yatta!” as you careen directly into a riverbank.

Locals are unbelievably welcoming. You’ll be handed a tub, a paddle, and a smile that says “you’re one of us now.” Tourists are encouraged to join, and many do, often with no idea what they’ve signed up for. The result is a chaotic, charming flotilla of humans bumping into each other, laughing, and collectively deciding that this might be the best day of the year.

There’s something oddly profound about the whole thing. In an age of hyper-efficiency and curated Instagram perfection, the Tub Riding Race is refreshingly silly, gloriously imperfect, and utterly human. It’s a reminder that joy doesn’t always come from winning. Sometimes, it comes from getting completely soaked while trying to steer a bath tub with a canoe paddle.

And after the race? You dry off, eat something delicious from a festival stand, and probably make three new friends who also just discovered how terrible they are at aquatic navigation. Maybe next year you’ll all meet up and try again, wiser, slightly wetter, and just as happy.

So if you’re in Japan this summer and wondering what to do with your day, come to Ito. Find the river. Grab a tub. Let the current take you. You might not win, but you’ll definitely float your way into one of the weirdest, most wonderful memories Japan has to offer.