A summer festival where mikoshi and Isami Shishi parade through Inariyama’s historic streets
Inariyama Gion Festival
The 2026 edition of Inariyama Gion Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/17 〜 2026/07/19Ended
- Season / frequency
- The 3rd Saturday and Sunday of July each year / Every year
- Location
- Inariyama district
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Chikuma 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/20
The Inariyama Gion Festival, which dates back to the Edo period, is a summer festival that brings the Inariyama district to life with , Isami Shishi, children’s mikoshi, and the sound of . The 5 neighborhoods take turns running the festival, keeping the region’s history and prayers alive today.
About Inariyama Gion Festival
The Inariyama Gion Festival is a summer festival passed down in the Inariyama district of Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture.
Inariyama has a history and traditions dating back to the Edo period, and the festival is designated an intangible folk cultural property by Chikuma City.
The 5 neighborhoods of the Inariyama district take turns running the festival each year, with mikoshi, Isami Shishi, taiko, and more parading through town.
The festival offers a chance to experience the local culture of Inariyama, which flourished as a post town.
Source: 2026年7月のちくまトピックス／千曲市 / 旧街道・蔵のまちエリア／千曲市 / 稲荷山祇園祭 文化遺産オンライン
Festival highlights
Highlights include mikoshi and Isami Shishi making their way through Inariyama’s streets.
During the eve-of-festival celebration, a children’s mikoshi parades through town, followed from evening into night by cheerleading, an adult mikoshi, and Isami Shishi dancing to the beat of taiko.
On the main festival day, mikoshi and Isami Shishi tour all of Inariyama, accompanied by performances from a brass band and Chikuma Sazanami Taiko.
Participants of every generation, from children to adults, shape the festival scene.
A summer festival where mikoshi and Isami Shishi parade through Inariyama’s historic streets
What to expect
The festival centers on the eve-of-festival celebration and the main festival day.
During the eve-of-festival celebration, a children’s mikoshi parades through town, along with cheerleading, an adult mikoshi, and Isami Shishi dancing to taiko.
At the main festival, the Haruta Elementary School brass band and Chikuma Sazanami Taiko perform, while mikoshi and Isami Shishi parade throughout Inariyama.
Prayers for abundant harvests and prosperity are offered through the mikoshi and Isami Shishi processions.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Inariyama district, Chikuma City
- Train and bus
About a 20-minute walk from Inariyama Station on the JR Shinonoi Line
- By car
As the festival procession covers the entire Inariyama district, no specific vehicle route could be confirmed in the available sources.
Address Inariyama district, Chikuma City, Nagano Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the festival was held from July 17 (Friday) through the 19th (Sunday).
The eve-of-festival celebration on the 18th featured a children’s mikoshi, cheerleading, an adult mikoshi, and Isami Shishi, while the main festival on the 19th included brass band and taiko performances, as well as mikoshi and Isami Shishi processions.
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 / Chikuma City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
The Inariyama district includes an old-road and kura-town area that flourished as a post town along the Zenkoji Road.
Machiya townhouses and earthen storehouses from the Edo and Meiji periods remain, and Kurashi-kan exhibits materials on Inariyama’s livelihoods and daily life.
Haruta Park, Choun-ji Temple, and the Furusato Manga Museum are also introduced as places to visit in the Inariyama district.
長野県立歴史館
長野県千曲市にある博物館
Origins and History of Inariyama Gion Festival
The Inariyama Gion Festival is said to have begun in Kyoho 18 (1733), when a Gion shrine was brought from Gion in Kyoto and prayers were offered to ward off epidemics.
In Tenmei 5 (1785), a mikoshi was brought from Kyoto; the current mikoshi was built in Keio 1 (1865).
As the years passed through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods, processions featuring the Four Gods, , Isami Shishi, children’s mikoshi, and a children’s procession were added.
It was designated an intangible folk cultural property by Chikuma City on June 6, 2012.
Official information
Chikuma City Official Website, “Chikuma Topics for July 2026”
Inariyama Gion Festival at a Glance
The Inariyama Gion Festival is a summer festival in the Inariyama district of Chikuma City, designated an intangible folk cultural property.
The 5 neighborhoods take turns running the festival, with children’s mikoshi, Isami Shishi, mikoshi, a brass band, taiko, and more parading through the town.
Its origins lie in the enshrinement of a Gion shrine in 1733 and prayers to ward off epidemics; dashi and children’s processions were added over time.
Held on the 3rd Saturday and Sunday of July each year, this event shares Inariyama’s history and the bonds within the community.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/20
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