Ikeda Hachiman Shrine Festival

Festival highlights

A highlight is the moment when 8 floats proceed through the neighborhoods and gather in the grounds of Ikeda Hachiman Shrine.

The floats are decorated with different dolls, gohei streamers, and carvings from each neighborhood, and each has its own distinctive music played on drums and flutes.

Distinctive sights include the floats being pulled around corners, the 8 illuminated floats lined up at night, and the 2 boat procession and dedication sumo on the 2nd day.

A traditional grand festival with 8 floats and 2 boats bringing color to Ikeda

What to expect

On the 1st day, led by the Dogikai, an association of local young people, parishioners from each neighborhood pull their floats toward Ikeda Hachiman Shrine.

The Urayasu Dance is offered at the shrine, and the floats enter the grounds one by one.

On the 2nd day, the Dogikai pulls 2 boats through the town. Dedication sumo and the Urayasu Dance are held at the shrine, and the boats and festival flags return to the shrine to bring the festival to a close.

How to take part

The festival floats and boats are pulled mainly by the Dogikai, an association of local young people, and parishioners from each neighborhood.

As spectators, you can enjoy the floats and boats traveling through the town, as well as the dedication ceremonies in the shrine grounds.

Source: 池田町の祭り 【概要 · 特別インタビュー】 | 長野県 · あづみ野 · Ikeda Town

Location and access

Venue and address

Ikeda Hachiman Shrine (Ikeda, Ikeda Town, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture).

Floats and boats travel through the neighborhoods of Ikeda and head to the shrine.

Address Ikeda, Ikeda Town, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture

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Dates and season

Season

Every year on September 23 and 24

Frequency

Once a year

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The floats are pulled along the roads through town and head to the shrine from dusk into the night. Please watch from a place where you won’t obstruct traffic.

Several events take place in the shrine grounds, including the floats’ arrival, the Urayasu Dance, and sumo wrestling offered to the shrine.

Some traffic restrictions are announced for the 2025 annual festival, so if you plan to visit by car, check the traffic information for that year.

Source: 2025年八幡神社例大祭 | 池田町観光協会

Origins and History of Ikeda Hachiman Shrine Festival

The Ikeda Hachiman Shrine Festival is a local festival handed down for nearly 400 years.

At the festival’s beginnings, there were 2 floats, but 8 were assembled during a period when sericulture flourished and the town of Ikeda prospered.

It is said that the Dogikai began taking responsibility for the boat procession and dedication sumo after its establishment in the first year of Taisho, and that in the 2nd year of Taisho the boats were fitted with wheels as they are today.

Official information

The Ikeda Town official website introduces the Ikeda Hachiman Shrine Festival as Intangible Folk Cultural Property No. 40 designated by the town.

The Ikeda Town Tourism Association also publishes festival announcements and traffic restrictions.

For the festival’s cultural background and events, see information from Ikeda Town. For details of the event in a particular year, check announcements from the Ikeda Town Tourism Association.

Ikeda Hachiman Shrine Festival at a Glance

The Ikeda Hachiman Shrine Festival is a 2-day grand festival in which floats and boats travel through Ikeda, with dances and sumo offered at the shrine.

Highlights include the neighborhood-specific decorations and music on the 8 floats, as well as the floats lined up in the shrine grounds at night.

As an intangible folk cultural property with a long history, the festival’s traditions are upheld by local shrine parishioners and young people.