Chiryū Festival

Festival highlights

A highlight of the Hon Festival is the dashi, which are 7 meters tall and weigh 5 tons, brought out by 5 neighborhoods.

Accompanied by hayashi music called kamimai, the dashi parade along the streets, seeming to tower over the eaves of houses. Bunraku and karakuri performances are presented on the platforms.

Performing ningyō jōruri on a dashi is said to be unique to Chiryū, and it is also unusual for karakuri puppets to act out stories in time with the jōruri.

At night, lanterns on the dashi are lit.

Source: 知立まつり | イベント検索 | 【公式】愛知県の観光サイトAichi Now

A Chiryū festival where bunraku and karakuri come to life on dashi

What to expect

During the festival, dashi from 5 neighborhoods are presented and paraded at Chiryū Shrine and locations across the city.

At the Hon Festival, dashi bunraku puppet theater and karakuri are performed on the dashi platforms. At the interim festival, there are no bunraku or karakuri performances, and 5 flower-decorated floats are brought out.

At the Hon Festival, bunraku is performed on dashi from several neighborhoods, and karakuri puppets act out stories in time with the jōruri.

The 2026 event was listed as the Hon Festival.

Location and access

Venue

Chiryū Shrine Outer Garden and other locations across the city

Address

12 Kanda, Nishi-machi, Chiryū, Aichi 472-0023 (Chiryū Shrine Outer Garden)

Address 12 Kanda, Nishi-machi, Chiryū, Aichi 472-0023 (Chiryū Shrine Outer Garden)

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

In 2026, the main festival was scheduled for May 2 (Saturday) and the 3rd (Sunday and public holiday); the 2nd was listed as the preliminary festival, and the 3rd as the main festival.

The venues are the outer grounds of Chiryū Shrine and various locations around the city.

According to the 2026 event information, 5 dashi from 5 neighborhoods will take part, with dashi bunraku and karakuri performances.

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Tips for your visit

During the 2026 festival, traffic restrictions were in place on roads around Chiryū Shrine.

Chiryū Shrine announced that its parking lot would be unavailable on May 2 and the 3rd, and encouraged visitors to use public transportation.

Since dashi processions and offerings take place around the shrine and at various locations across the city, check the day’s schedule before visiting so you can move between locations according to the performances or processions you want to see.

Source: ５月の行事予定（祈祷受付時間の変更、並びに令和８年知立まつりについて） - お知らせ｜知立神社｜愛知県知立市にある神社。旧称池鯉鮒大明神。江戸時代東海道三社の一つに加えられた名社。

Nearby attractions

Near Chiryū Shrine, the festival’s main venue, is the site of Chiryū Castle.

The site of Chiryū Castle is described as the site of a castle that fell during the Battle of Okehazama.

Listed near the festival venues are Chiryū-juku, associated with Chiryū as a post town on the Tōkaidō, and the Tōkaidō pine-lined avenue.

When visiting, check the facilities’ information and the day’s traffic conditions to avoid disrupting festival processions or offerings.

Source: 知立まつり - Wikipedia

Museums and art museumsChiryū City

知立市歴史民俗資料館

愛知県知立市の博物館・美術館のスポットです。

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写真：Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Chiryū Festival

The Chiryū Festival is recorded in the “Chiryū Nakamachi Festival Records” from Jōō 2 (1653) as a festival that had been held since the Edo period.

The festival is said to have begun when four neighborhoods presented karakuri to Chiryū Shrine. The practice of performing bunraku on dashi began in Enkyō 4 (1747).

Karakuri and dashi bunraku have been passed down in each neighborhood, were designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan in 1990, and were inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016.

Official information

You can check an overview of the festival, the 2026 schedule, and traffic advisories in the “Chiryū Festival” guide on the Chiryū City official website, the Chiryū City Tourism Association’s Hon Festival guide, and notices from Chiryū Shrine.

For the 2026 Hon Festival, Chiryū Shrine has published information on the schedule for May 2 and the 3rd, parking, and traffic restrictions.

Chiryū Festival at a Glance

The Chiryū Festival features 5 dashi brought out around Chiryū Shrine, with bunraku and karakuri performances presented on the floats.

Dashi bunraku and karakuri, passed down since the Edo period, are designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan and are inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

In 2026, the Hon Festival was held on May 2 and the 3rd, with Chiryū Shrine Outer Garden and locations across the city serving as venues.