murmurNikko Toshogu Shrine Grand Spring Festival
Nikko City · Nikko Toshogu Shrine (main approach, Otabisho and surroundings)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Nikko City Tourism Association (Nikko Tabi Navi) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- May 17–18, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- May 17–18, 2027 Day 1: horseback archery 13:30–14:30 / Day 2: portable shrine procession 11:00–11:40, Otabisho rite 12:00–12:40, return procession 13:00–13:30 (planned)
- Usual timing
- Usually mid May
- How the date is set
- Every year, May 17 – May 18 As a Shinto rite, it is held on the same dates every year
- Venue
- Nikko Toshogu Shrine (main approach, Otabisho and surroundings)
- City
- Nikko City, Tochigi
About
Each spring, Nikko Toshogu, the shrine of Tokugawa Ieyasu, holds its grand festival over two days. On day one, archers on galloping horses shoot at targets along the main approach in a yabusame ritual. Day two brings the Procession of 1,000 Samurai, re-creating the cortege that moved Ieyasu's spirit from Kunozan in Sunpu to Nikko. Behind mounted priests, more than 1,200 people, among them armored warriors, bearers of bows, spears and guns, lion figures and shrine maidens, guard 3 portable shrines on the walk from Futarasan Shrine to the Otabisho, a little more than 1 kilometer away. There, food offerings are presented, and the Yaotome dance and the Azuma-asobi dance are performed according to old custom.
Sources
- OfficialNikko City Tourism Association (Nikko Tabi Navi) www.nikko-kankou.org
- OfficialTochigi Prefectural Tourism and Local Products Association (Tochigi Tabi Net) www.tochigiji.or.jp
Last checked: Oct 10, 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
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.