Latest Events in Nikko(May Updated)

Nikko Toshogu Shrine hosts two grand festivals each year. Held in October, the festival includes the Shinto ritual of "Yabusa," where archery is shot from horseback at targets, and the "Wadogyo Festival," known as the "Hyakumono-no-Shoosenninmusha Parade," where participants recreate the procession from Kunozan, Sunpu, to Nikko for the reburial of Tokugawa Ieyasu. The "Hyakumono-Senninmusha Parade," in particular, features 1,200 participants parading around the mikoshi along the approach to the shrine, creating a sense of transport back to the Edo period.

The Kamakura Festival is a traditional winter event in Yunishikawa Onsen, held only during the winter months, and is definitely worth experiencing at least once. The 2026 Kamakura Festival will be held from January 30th to March 1st. The event can be enjoyed throughout Yunishikawa Onsen, centered around the tourist facility "Heike no Sato" and the mini snow huts on the Sawaguchi Riverbed, which were designated a "Japan Night View Heritage Site" in 2009 (Heisei 21).