murmurAnsei Toashi Samurai Marathon
Annaka City · Annaka Castle site (samurai row houses) to Kumano Shrine on Usui Pass or Kutsurogi-no-Sato
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Ansei Toashi Samurai Marathon (Ansei Toashi Preservation Society / Annaka City) · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, May 10, 2026 （Ended） Start at 8:00 from the samurai row houses
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early May
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held rain or shine; runners must register in advance (no same-day entry)
- Venue
- Annaka Castle site (samurai row houses) to Kumano Shrine on Usui Pass or Kutsurogi-no-Sato
- City
- Annaka City, Gunma
About
This Annaka race draws many runners in costume. Its roots go back to 1855, when Itakura Katsuakira, lord of the Annaka domain, sent 96 retainers aged 50 or under running from the castle gate along the Nakasendo to the Kumano shrine atop Usui Pass, a distance of more than seven ri, to strengthen body and spirit. A record of this "Ansei Toashi" turned up in 1955 at a teahouse on the pass, and the run was revived as what is billed as Japan's oldest marathon. Both courses start from the samurai row houses at the Annaka Castle site: the pass course (28.97 km) to Kumano Shrine, and the checkpoint and Sakamoto post-town course (20.15 km) to Kutsurogi-no-Sato. Many runners dress as samurai or in other outfits, and judges on the route award prizes for the best ideas, so it is fun to watch from the roadside too. Organized by the Ansei Toashi Preservation Society and Annaka City, the race held its fifty-second edition in 2026.
Sources
- OfficialAnsei Toashi Samurai Marathon (Ansei Toashi Preservation Society / Annaka City) ansei-toashi.jp
- OfficialAnsei Toashi Samurai Marathon (Ansei Toashi Preservation Society / Annaka City) ansei-toashi.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
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