Gifu’s spring festival of dashi and mikoshi, with performances by mechanical puppets
Gifu Matsuri
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Early April each year / Every year
- Location
- Central Gifu City, around Inaba Shrine
- Area
- Gifu Prefecture・Gifu City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h–2 h 30 min · bullet train + connecting 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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Gifu Matsuri is an annual festival held in Gifu City, centered around Inaba Shrine. Festivals at shrines across the city coincide around the same time, bringing color to spring in Gifu. Along with dancing , mechanical puppet dashi, and processions, Yoimiya offers a chance to enjoy dashi bearing lanterns and observe .
About Gifu Matsuri
Gifu Matsuri is a festival widely known as a collective name for the annual festivals held at many shrines throughout Gifu City.
At its central venue, Inaba Shrine, the Shinko Festival and Yoimiya are held, and the deities make a procession to Kogane Shrine and Kashimori Shrine.
Dashi and mikoshi move through the city streets in spring, offering a close-up experience of Gifu’s history and faith.
Source: 岐阜まつり - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
Highlights include the dashi and mechanical puppet performances presented during Yoimiya at Inaba Shrine.
Four dashi appear: Ebisu-guruma, Ataka-guruma, Kagekiyo-guruma, and Odori-guruma. Mechanical puppet performances are held atop the dashi.
The event also features dashi and mikoshi processions with lanterns swaying at night, as well as fireworks.
Source: 道三まつり｜イベント｜岐阜県観光公式サイト 「岐阜の旅ガイド」
Gifu’s spring festival of dashi and mikoshi, with performances by mechanical puppets
What to expect
The festival includes the Shinko Festival, in which the deities make a procession from Inaba Shrine to Kogane Shrine and Kashimori Shrine.
During Yoimiya, dashi and mikoshi proceed through the streets, and mechanical puppet performances can be seen within the .
Performances such as “Ataka,” “Tama no I,” and “Iwabune” are depicted by puppets on the dashi, adding color to the festival proceedings.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Central Gifu City.
Annual festivals at Inaba Shrine and festival events in the city are held here.
- Train and bus
It is a 5–15-minute walk from JR Gifu Station or Meitetsu Gifu Station.
- Parking
Paid parking is available in the city center.
Address Central urban area, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Early April each year
- Frequency
Every year
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 Gifu Prefecture / Gifu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby, you can visit shrines and temples connected with Gifu Matsuri, including Inaba Shrine, Gifu Zenkoji Temple, and Kogane Shrine.
The official Gifu City website also introduces the streetscape of Kawaramachi and the Osushi Kaido as places that tell the story of Gifu’s history.
Along with the festival, visitors can experience the culture of the castle town and streetscapes shaped by Nagara River transport.
Source: まちの名所でおもてなし｜岐阜市公式ホームページ-Gifu city
三甲美術館
岐阜県岐阜市にある美術館
加藤栄三・東一記念美術館
岐阜県岐阜市にある美術館
写真：Douggers at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5
Photo source ·
名和昆虫博物館
岐阜県岐阜市にある博物館
奥の細道むすびの地記念館
日本の岐阜県大垣市にある記念館
岐阜公園
岐阜市の公園
写真：Douggers at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5
Photo source ·
岐阜市歴史博物館
岐阜県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：Douggers at English Wikipedia / CC BY 2.5
Photo source ·
岐阜市科学館
岐阜県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
岐阜県美術館
岐阜県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
水の資料館
岐阜県岐阜市にある上水道に関する資料館
金神社
岐阜市にある神社
鵜飼資料園
岐阜県岐阜市にある長良川鵜飼に関する資料館
Origins and History of Gifu Matsuri
It is said that Saito Dosan moved Inaba Shrine from Mount Inaba to its present location when Gifu Castle was built.
Gifu Matsuri is thought to have taken shape as a dashi festival by the mid-Edo period.
Today, 4 dashi, 3 mikoshi, and festival events are designated as cultural properties of Gifu City, making this a festival that carries on the city’s history.
Official information
Cultural properties related to Gifu Matsuri and its connection with Inaba Shrine are featured on the official Gifu City website.
For the 2026 dates, venue, access, and parking information, see the event listing on the official Gifu Prefecture tourism website.
Gifu Matsuri at a Glance
Gifu Matsuri is a spring festival in Gifu City featuring the Shinko Festival, Yoimiya, dashi, mechanical puppets, and mikoshi, centered around Inaba Shrine.
Highlights include dashi proceeding with lanterns raised and mechanical puppet performances staged atop the dashi.
The tradition of dashi festivals, established in its current form in the mid-Edo period, lives on in cultural properties today.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
