A procession of banners and traditional performing arts through the hot spring town, honoring the prayers on Mount Ojin
Take no Nobori festival in Bessho Onsen
The 2026 edition of Take no Nobori festival in Bessho Onsen has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/12Ended
- Season / frequency
- The Sunday closest to July 15 / Every year
- Location
- Bessho Shrine, the 4 districts of Bessho Onsen, and the area from Mount Ojin to the hot spring town
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Ueda City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 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 fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A traditional event in Bessho Onsen, where vividly colored banners, a , and Sasara Odori proceed from Mount Ojin to Bessho Shrine.
About Take no Nobori festival in Bessho Onsen
The Take no Nobori festival in Bessho Onsen is a festival centered on prayers for rain and a good harvest on Mount Ojin, passed down through the 4 districts of Bessho Onsen.
Before dawn, the district in charge climbs the mountain and then descends carrying banners with bolts of cloth tied to them.
In the hot spring town, a lion dance and Sasara Odori welcome the procession of banners as it makes its way to Bessho Shrine.
This event conveys the prayers of the local community and is deeply connected to life on the rain-scarce Shioda Plain.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
Highlights include a procession of vividly colored banners descending from the mountain, welcomed by a three-lion dance and Sasara Odori.
The lion dance features 2 male lions and 1 female lion, and includes a scene in which they compete over the female lion.
In Sasara Odori, girls wearing flower hats dance to songs, flutes, and drums.
Enjoy the sight of banners and costumes coming together with music echoing through the mountain village.
A procession of banners and traditional performing arts through the hot spring town, honoring the prayers on Mount Ojin
What to expect
The event begins with a climb before dawn, when people from the district in charge pray for rain at a shrine on Mount Ojin.
Afterward, each person carries a banner made by tying a bolt of cloth to a bamboo pole down the mountain. At the entrance to the hot spring town, the banners are handed over to the district in charge the following year.
The procession winds through town, presenting a lion dance and Sasara Odori along the way.
The event concludes at Bessho Shrine, where the banners are erected and dances are performed as offerings.
How to take part
参加費：無料
Location and access
- Venue and address
Bessho Shrine and the 4 districts of Bessho Onsen.
The event takes place across the area from Mount Ojin to Bessho Shrine.
- Address
Bessho Onsen, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture
- Train and bus
About a 10-minute walk from Bessho-Onsen Station on the Ueda Electric Railway.
- By car
From Ueda-Sugadaira IC on the Joshinetsu Expressway, take National Routes 144 and 18, then Prefectural Routes 143, 65, and 177. The trip is about 16 km and takes about 30 minutes.
- Parking
Parking is available for 150 vehicles at a cost of 500 yen.
Source: 別所温泉「岳の幟」（長野県／別所温泉(長野県)）｜開催期間・アクセス｜るるぶ&more.
Address Bessho Onsen, Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 Event Information (the listed dates have passed)
Event information was published for 2026, with the festival scheduled for July 12 (Sunday).
The procession was scheduled to travel via Uwate, in front of Ishiyu, in front of Oyū, and the lawn plaza at Aisome no Yu, before reaching Bessho Shrine, where ceremonies and dances were planned.
The announced times are: Uwate at 8:15 a.m., in front of Ishiyu at 9 a.m., in front of Oyū at 10:20 a.m., Bessho Shrine at 11:30 a.m., ceremony at 12:20 p.m., and dances at 12:50 p.m.
The event may be subject to change due to weather and other conditions.
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 Nagano Prefecture / Ueda City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
As the procession covers a wide area, including the hot spring town and mountain paths, wear comfortable clothing if you plan to watch from multiple locations.
The times for the procession and ceremonial dances may change due to weather and other conditions.
The event begins with a ceremony on Mount Ojin, so watch your footing if you go to see what is happening on the mountain.
In the hot spring town, follow the directions of event staff and guides so you do not obstruct the procession or dances.
Nearby attractions
Around the festival venue are public bathhouses and temples and shrines in Bessho Onsen.
Nearby attractions introduced here include Aisome-no-Yu and Anrakuji Temple.
Alongside Bessho Shrine, where the procession heads, and the hot-spring town where the banners are erected, you can experience the area's history and hot-spring culture.
If you combine the festival with a walk around the area, please give priority to watching the procession as it moves along.
上田城
長野県上田市にあった城
生島足島神社
日本の長野県上田市にある神社
美ヶ原高原美術館
長野県上田市にある美術館
Origins and History of Take no Nobori festival in Bessho Onsen
The Take no Nobori festival is said to have begun following a summer drought in Eisho 1 (1504).
It was formerly held on day 15 of lunar month 6 and is now held on a Sunday close to July 15.
Originally, Take no Nobori and the Gion Festival were separate events. In Showa 9, because their festival dates were close together, they began to be held on the same day and have been passed down as a single event.
In 1997, it was selected as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property requiring measures such as documentation.
Official information
Check the official Bessho Onsen Ryokan Association website for event information and procession times.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs' Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties provides information on its designation, origins, and details as a cultural property.
As the event dates and procession schedule may change, check the relevant official information before your visit.
Take no Nobori festival in Bessho Onsen at a Glance
The Take no Nobori festival in Bessho Onsen is a traditional event that begins with prayers for rain on Mount Ojin, followed by a procession of banners made from bolts of cloth through the hot spring town to Bessho Shrine.
The procession is accompanied by a three-lion dance, Sasara Odori, and music played on drums and flutes.
Event information was published for 2026, with the festival scheduled for July 12 (Sunday). The venues are Bessho Shrine and the 4 districts of Bessho Onsen.
You can experience up close the prayers and performing arts nurtured in this region, where rainfall is scarce.
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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