Autumn Festival Season is just around the corner. Here are some festivals you can attend in Hyogo!
Currently events listed are for the long weekend.
Akashi Area
Akashi Castle Festival
http://www.hyogo-park.or.jp/akashi/
When: October 6th – October 7th (10am to 4:15pm)
Where: Akashi Castle Park
Price: Free
Next year Akashi Castle will celebrate it’s 400th anniversary of construction. You can learn about the castle’s history through various performances . There will also be a tea ceremony and flea market.
Inazumi Shrine Autumn Festival
When: October 6th – October 7th (from 6pm)
Where: Inazumi Shrine, Akashi (3 min walk from Hitomarumae Station) map [x]
Price: Free
– Has a special lion dance performance which is designated as the intangible folk cultural property of Hyogo prefecture.
Himeji Area:
Shohachiman Shrine Festival
When: October 6th – October 7th
Where: Shohachiman Shrine, Himeji (15 minute walk from Mizoguchi Station) map [x]
Price : Free
Shikama Festival
When: October 8th – October 9th
Where: Ebisunomiyatenman Shrine (8 minute walk from Shikama Station) map [x]
Price : Free
Features “Kaibari Daiba” (Himeji City Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property)
Nada Fighting Festival
When: October 14th – October 15th
Where: Matsubara Hachiman Shrine (3 minute walk from Shirahamanomiya station)
Price : Free
The festival is referred to as a “fighting festival,” as participants slam portable shrines known as mikoshi into one another in a display of dominance.
Oshiotenmangu Autumn Festival
When: October 14th – October 15th
Where: Oshiotenmangu Shrine, Himeji (2 min walk from Oshio Station)
Price: Free
Eight Kylin lions in the festival, called Kejishi, are covered with black hair from heads to tails. Unlike regular Kagura (Shinto dance) lions, they are wilder animals. The head of Kejishi weighs 5 kilograms and its body weighs 15 kilograms.
Itami Area:
Miyamae Festival
When:October 13th – October 14th (10am to 5pm)
Where: Inano Shrine, Miyanomae Street ( 6min walk from Itami Station (Hankyu Line)
Price: Free
This is a folk festival that takes place around Inano Shrine in Itami every autumn and spring. Traditionally a celebration of the harvest, the main event of the autumn festival has a futondaiko drum routine. Also will have flea markets.
Kasai Area:
Hiyoshi Shrine Autumn Festival
When: October 7th
Where: Hiyoshi Shrine , Kasai map [x]
Price: Free
– Festival that brings 6 local Shrines / districts (Mikoshi) together
Kobe Area
India Mela
When: October 6th – October 8th 10am to 8pm [starts from 3pm on the 6th , food and drink booth open at 12pm)
Where: Meriken Park, Kobe
Price : Free
– The India Mela (9th year in running) is the biggest Indian Festival in Western Japan , it will be held at Meriken Park, Kobe. There will be a lot of Indian food,goods,costumes and perfomances
16th Ryukyu Festival in Kobe
When: October 7th (11am to 5pm)
Where: Wakamatsu Park, Shin- Nagata (2 min walk from Shin-Nagata Station)
Price: Free
Experience a bit of Okinawa in Kobe! From 11am to 5pm you can celebrate all things Okinawan! Great Okinawa food, drinks (love Orion beer!), folk music, product stalls, culture and more. All capped off by the street parade.[x]
Miki Area:
Miki Autumn Harvest Festival
When: October 6th – October 7th & October 20- October 21st
Where: Omiya -Jinja Shrine (9 minute walk from Miki Station) map [x]
Price : Free
This exciting festival is held around the time of the rice harvest to thank the gods for a bountiful crop. Locals dressed in “happi” bearing their village logo carry portable shrines called “Futon-Yatai-Daiko” on their shoulders. Each shrines weighs 2 tons and carried by more than 60 people. Drum beats and cheering from supporters follows the shrines as they make their way around the town and up the final 85 steps to the Omiya -Jinja Shrine for further celebrations. [x]
Yaho Ritual (Wakamiya Shrine)
When: October 7th
Where: Wakamiya Shrine, Miki map [x]
Price : Free
The autumn festival is held on the first Sunday of October every year and this has also been designated as an important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the prefecture. It is said that his festival started in the Muromachi period, and its name came from the Kagura (sacred) song “Iyaho, Iyaho”.
Nishinomiya Area:
Mondo Yakujin Autumn Festival
When: October 19th
Where: Mondo Yakujin Temple, Nishinomiya (2min walk from Mondo Yakujin Station)
Price : Free
Tens of thousands of people gather for the chance to say goodbye to bad luck, making this the most bustly and lively event of the year.
Takasago Area:
Yoneda Shrine Fall Festival
When: October 6th – October 7th
Where: Yoneda Shrine, Takasago (15 minute walk from Hoden Station) map [x]
Price : Free
Yoneda Shrine’s Autumn Festival is held on the second Sunday and the previous day of October to celebrate the harvest and express thanksgiving for the good crop.It is said that hundred years ago the shrine was re-built by Chief Retainer of Feudal Domain Kokura, Miyamoto Iori who was was Miyamoto Musashi’s son in law. [x]
Arai Shrine Fall Festival
When: October 6th – October 7th
Where: Arai Shrine, Takasago (10 mins walk from Sanyo Arai Station, map [x]
Price: Free
The main attraction of Arai Shrine’s autumn festival is the Niwaka Drum (a cultural property of Takasago City). The Niwaka Drum is a unique festival in which performers playing three roles such as dancers, riders, and carriers of floats which come together and the strength and vigor of the men who push floats are combined. All dolls are handmade and performances are mainly historical ones.
Takasago Shrine Autumn Festival
When : October 10th – October 12th
Where: Takasago Shrine, Takasago (15 minute walk from Takasago Station)
Price: Free
The Shinko Festival held on October 10 is a festival in which the deity of the Takasago Shrine rides on the mikoshi portable shrine, goes around each point and district, and brings protection and grace. Eight Yatai floats scramble in one row in front of the shrine at night on the 11th, and the festival reaches its climax.
Sone Tenmangu Festival
When : October 13th – October 14th
Where: Sone Tenman-gu Shrine, Takasago ( 2 min walk from Sone Station)
Price: Free
This is the biggest event of the Sone Tenman Shrine and is held on October 13 and 14 every year. This is a gallant and splendid festival with the Hitotsumono Ritual, the Omenkake, the Cutting of Bamboo, and the colorful Neriawase of the 15 Futon Yatai floats.
Tamba Area:
Kashiwabara Oda Clan Festival + Umaimon Festival
When: October 8th (10am to 4pm)
Where: Kaibara Tourist Information Center (5 min walk from Kashiwabara Station)
Price: Free
Reenaction of 100 samurai warriors departing from the clan’s residence and walking through the town. You can also try local specialties such as Tamba chestnuts , black soybeans and rice dishes.
Tarumi Area
Kai Shrine Autumn Festival
When : October 10th – October 12th
Where: Kai Shrine , Tarumi ( 1 minute walk from Tarumi Station)
Price : Free
During the Autumn Festival in Kai Shrine, which we held every year for three days from October 10 to 12, we want to sent our prayers and gratitude to the all hard-working fishermen and farmers, so their harvests would be always rich and stay safe. First the Yoimiya festival will be held on 10th of October, then on 11th Reisai (Annual Festival), and finally on 12th, Kaijo Togyo Festival at Tarumi Fishing Port. Besides the portable shrine, which will be placed into the ship and cross it with 20 others, they also plan to bring the huge Japanese “futon taiko drums”, which are unique for the local area. [x]
Shiso Area
Iwa Shrine Autumn Festival
When: October 15th – October 16th
Where: Iwa Shrine, Shiso
Price : Free
Toyooka Area
Kinosaki Autumn Festival
When: October 14th – October 15th
Where: Kinosaki Onsen (whole area)
Price : Free
Kinosaki Danjiri Festival
When: October 14th – October 15th
Where: Shisho Shrine(9 min walk from Kinosaki Station)
Price : Free
This event is also known as the Fighting Shrine Festival. Four major portable shrines, each representing a part of the town (north, east, south and west), are paraded through the town. The climax of the festival is when the shrines meet in the middle to battle. This is one of Kinosaki’s largest festivals, one not to be missed! The festival is held for two days every year in October on the 14th and 15th. The main event, the shrine battles, takes place on the second day in the center of town near Ichino-yu.
Izushi Danjiri Festival
When : October 14th (10am to 4pm)
Where: Izushi-cho (take a bus from JR Toyooka Station – 30mins)
Price : Free
The Autumn Festival is also known as the Danjiri Festival. Danjiri are large wooden carts (danjiri guruma) in the shape of a shrine or temple. The festival celebrates a good harvest for each year, and involves men using 17-meter long poles to attack each other’s danjiri. This creates a vigorous and compelling sight, exciting for all who attend. Because of its aggressive style of celebration, it is also known as a ‘fighting Danjiri’.
