Kawagoe's nighttime fire festival, carrying on the prayers of Fuji-ko
Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage
The 2026 edition of Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/09/01Ended
- Season / frequency
- On the night of September 1
- Location
- Asama Shrine, within Shinjuku Suzunomori Hikawa Shrine
- Area
- Saitama Prefecture・Kawagoe City(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/14
The Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage is a fire festival in Kawagoe City that entrusts the faith of Fuji-ko and the community's prayers to the flames of the firewood.
About Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage
The Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage is a fire festival held at Asama Shrine, a subsidiary shrine within Suzunomori Hikawa Shrine.
Passed down from the guardian shrine of the former Shinjuku Village, it entrusts prayers gathered from the community to the flames of the firewood.
Prayers include wishes for household safety, recovery from illness, and business prosperity, and the event has been passed down as a tradition connected with Fuji-ko.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the firewood stacked in the center of the shrine grounds to about a person's height, with a stretched around it.
At night, practitioners in white garments purify themselves with water, recite “-harai” at the Fujizuka mound, and then chant “Fujisan Goden” at the temporary shrine.
After the fire is lit, paper bearing the prayer requests is placed into the flames with chopstick-like sticks of dwarf bamboo, and the wishes are read aloud.
Kawagoe's nighttime fire festival, carrying on the prayers of Fuji-ko
What to expect
Preparations begin in the morning, including stacking firewood and stretching a shimenawa at the sacred site, as well as setting up the temporary shrine.
A ceremony takes place in the afternoon, and at night the practitioners proceed in order through water purification, the Fujizuka mound, and the temporary shrine.
Afterward, the firewood is lit at the sacred site, and the prayers and names submitted by the neighborhood are read aloud.
According to the 2026 information, the Okitaage was scheduled to begin around 8 p.m. and end around 9 p.m.
How to take part
Requests for prayers are solicited in advance through circular notices distributed around the neighborhood.
Wishes for household safety, recovery from illness, and business prosperity are among those listed.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Asama Shrine, within Shinjuku Suzunomori Hikawa Shrine (Kawagoe City)
- Train and bus
Use public transportation
- By car
No information available
- Parking
No information available
Event venue 埼玉県川越市 新宿雀ノ森氷川神社内
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
It was listed as scheduled for September 1, 2026 (Tuesday).
According to the information, the Okitaage begins around 8 p.m., after a practitioner recites the Fuji-kyo sutra, and ends around 9 p.m.
The event may be canceled or its date and time changed due to weather or other circumstances.
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 Saitama Prefecture / Kawagoe City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The 2026 information advises visitors to use public transportation to reach the venue.
The event may be canceled or its date and time changed due to weather or other circumstances.
Nearby attractions
仙波東照宮
埼玉県川越市にある神社
川越まつり会館
埼玉県川越市にある郷土博物館
川越城
埼玉県川越市にあった城
川越市立美術館
埼玉県川越市にある美術館
氷川神社
埼玉県川越市にある神社
Origins and History of Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage
The Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage is an event associated with Fuji-ko, which was once popular in this area.
In the past, local people made annual proxy pilgrimages to Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine in Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture.
The Okitaage is said to have begun in Meiji 18 (1885), modeled on the Yoshida Fire Festival at Kitaguchi Hongu.
In 2019, it was designated a city-designated intangible folk cultural property.
Official information
Kawagoe City provides information on the 2026 date, venue, and event details under the title “City-Designated Cultural Property: Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage.”
Its name is Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage, and its classification is a city-designated intangible folk cultural property.
Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage at a Glance
The Shinjuku Suzunomori Okitaage is a fire festival in Kawagoe City connected with Fuji-ko. Firewood is stacked and a sacred site is set up in the grounds of Asama Shrine.
The practitioners recite norito at the Fujizuka mound and temporary shrine, then, after the fire is lit, entrust the prayers submitted by the neighborhood to the flames.
It is said to have begun in Meiji 18 (1885) and is a city-designated intangible folk cultural property.
In 2026, it was scheduled to be held from around 8 p.m. on September 1.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/14
