A Chūshingura festival with the 47 loyal retainers walking through the Ako castle town
Ako Gishi Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/12/14Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- Every year on December 14 / Once a year
- Location
- Around the Ako Castle Ruins, Oshiro-dori, and Ikitsugi Plaza, among other locations
- Area
- Hyogo Prefecture・Ako City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 40 min–3 h 10 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Age restrictions
- Participants in the loyal-retainer procession must be men aged 18 or older as of December 1, 2026. High school students need parental consent.
- Required number of participants
- About 10 people will be recruited for the Gishi Procession.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
As a festival December 14 honoring the Ako retainers, a parade and local products market are held around the Ako Castle Ruins and Oshiro-dori.
About Ako Gishi Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Corpse Reviver File:Ako Gishisai De09 13.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Corpse Reviver File:Ako Gishisai De09 08.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Corpse Reviver File:Ako Gishisai De09 20.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.The Ako Gishi Festival is held in Ako City to honor the great deed of the Ako retainers, who carried out their raid on December 14.
As Ako City’s largest event, it features a parade reminiscent of a Genroku-era picture scroll and a local products market.
Alongside events held throughout the city, the community carries on culture associated with Chūshingura.
In 2026, the festival will be held for the 123rd time.
Source: 赤穂市／第123回赤穂義士祭【2026年12月14日】
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the parade, in which people dressed as figures associated with Chūshingura make their way through the city.
The procession includes an elementary school brass band, a daimyo procession, the Gishi Musume Rickshaw Procession, a procession depicting stories of the loyal retainers, , and a procession of the 47 loyal retainers.
In 2026, Ken Matsudaira will appear in the loyal-retainer procession as Ōishi Kuranosuke.
You can also enjoy street stalls and the Chūshingura Exchange Local Products Market near the venue.
Source: 赤穂義士祭 - Wikipedia
A Chūshingura festival with the 47 loyal retainers walking through the Ako castle town
What to expect
On the main festival day, the parade, street stalls, and Chūshingura Exchange Local Products Market start at 10 a.m., and events around the city continue into the afternoon.
The parade depicts scenes from Chūshingura through a variety of processions and dashi, and concludes with a procession of participants dressed as the 47 loyal retainers.
At the local products market, you can discover specialties from municipalities connected to the festival and nearby areas, as well as local performing arts and regional foods.
How to take part
You can enjoy the festival as a spectator.
Those wishing to participate as performers can apply for the 2026 loyal-retainer procession if they are men aged 18 or older. Requirements include being able to walk the approximately 0.6 km route under their own power.
High school students need parental consent, and around 10 people will be recruited.
General participation requirements for the festival vary by event.
To take part in the 2026 Gishi Procession, submit an application form online, or fill in the required details on an application form and mail it or deliver it in person.
Applications are accepted from September 10 through October 9, and must arrive by 5 p.m.
The selection process consists of document screening and a lottery, followed by a briefing session in mid-November and participation on the festival day.
Applications for spectator seating and dashi are also announced separately.
Source: 赤穂市／第123回赤穂義士祭「義士行列」出演者募集！
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around the Ako Castle Ruins, Oshiro-dori, and Ikitsugi Plaza, among other locations.
Since the parade travels through the city, it takes place at multiple venues and along several streets.
- Train and bus
From Banshu-Ako Station on the JR Ako Line, it is a 7-minute walk south to the area around Oshiro-dori.
There is no direct bus.
Event venue 兵庫県赤穂市 赤穂城跡
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
The main festival day in 2026 is scheduled for December 14 (Monday).
It is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. until around 4 p.m., with the parade scheduled from 10 a.m. until around 3 p.m.
Street stalls and the Chūshingura Exchange Local Products Market are both listed as running from 10 a.m. until around 4 p.m.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Hyogo Prefecture / Ako City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The parade continues from the Ako Castle Ruins along Oshiro-dori to the area around Ikitsugi Plaza, so you can watch from several points along the route.
Participants in the loyal-retainer procession are advised that they may not wear items considered out of keeping with the period, such as glasses, earrings, rings, or wristwatches.
Applications for spectator seating are also being announced, so check the current availability if you would like a seat.
Nearby attractions
The festival venues include the area around the Ako Castle Ruins, Oshiro-dori, and Ikitsugi Plaza.
Parades and Chūshingura-related events take place near the Ako Castle Ruins, where you can enjoy part of the festival.
赤穂城
兵庫県赤穂市にある城
Origins and History of Ako Gishi Festival
The Ako Gishi Festival began in 1903 (Meiji 36) and will be held for the 123rd time in 2026.
It has continued as an event honoring the great deed of the Ako retainers on December 14, the day on which they are said to have carried out their raid.
Chūshingura Week was first held in 2012. In recent years, the festival was canceled or scaled back due to the effects of infectious diseases, before returning to its usual scale in 2023.
Official information
The Ako City official website provides information on the 123rd Ako Gishi Festival, including its outline, schedule, venues, and recruitment of participants for the loyal-retainer procession.
The official information also links to recruitment pages for the loyal-retainer procession, dashi, and spectator seating.
Ako Gishi Festival at a Glance
The Ako Gishi Festival is a festival December 14 honoring the Ako retainers, with a parade taking place around the Ako Castle Ruins and Oshiro-dori.
The 123rd festival is scheduled for December 14 in 2026, with Ken Matsudaira appearing in the loyal-retainer procession as Ōishi Kuranosuke.
As well as watching the procession, you can enjoy street stalls and the Chūshingura Exchange Local Products Market.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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