Amatsu Shrine Spring Grand Festival (Itoigawa Fighting Festival)

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the “Fighting Mikoshi,” in which 2 mikoshi from the Oshiage and Teramachi districts set off and clash fiercely again and again.

Young men divided into crimson and yellow-green happi coats pull the mikoshi and compete to the beat of drums.

After that, the energetic mikoshi procession gives way to a Bugaku dance performance designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.

A spring festival in Itoigawa featuring a contest between 2 mikoshi and celebratory Bugaku

What to expect

The festival begins with the beating of drums. The mikoshi are brought out of the mikoshi hall and placed on the stage.

Afterward, young men from both the Oshiage and Teramachi districts go up to Ichinomiya, and the mikoshi procession circles the shrine grounds.

After the mikoshi contest and the Oshiri procession, Amatsu Shrine Bugaku is performed on the 10th and 11th. On the 11th, the program centers on the Bugaku performance.

Location and access

Venue and address

Amatsu Shrine (1-3-34 Ichinomiya, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture)

Train and bus

A 5-minute walk from the Alps Exit (South Exit) of JR Itoigawa Station.

One guide also says it is a 10-minute walk from Itoigawa Station, served by the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the Nihonkai Hisui Line of Echigo TOKImeki Railway.

By car

It is an 8-minute drive from Itoigawa IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.

Parking

Parking is limited.

The area around the venue gets crowded, so visitors are advised to walk or use public transportation.

Source: Amatsu Shrine · 奴奈川神社 – 新潟県糸魚川市にある五穀豊穣とご縁のお社、天津神社 · 奴奈川神社（あまつじんじゃ · ぬながわじんじゃ）の公式サイトです。祭典 · 神事、御祈祷などをご案内しています。

Address 1-3-34 Ichinomiya, Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture

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Dates and season

Season

Spring (April)

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The area around Amatsu Shrine gets extremely crowded on the festival day, and parking is limited.

Visitors are advised to walk or use public transportation, so if you come by car, allow plenty of time.

The mikoshi contest and Bugaku performances may run earlier or later depending on how the events proceed, so please follow local guidance.

Nearby attractions

Temples and shrinesItoigawa City

Nou Hakusan Shrine

新潟県糸魚川市大字能生にある神社

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：Triglav / CC BY-SA 3.0

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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 Amatsu Shrine Spring Grand Festival (Itoigawa Fighting Festival)

Amatsu Shrine has long been revered as the local ujigami deity of Itoigawa.

The Spring Grand Festival is held to celebrate hopes for a bountiful harvest, and has long been known affectionately as the “Fighting Festival.”

The festival is described as having a history of about 500 years, and the Bugaku is said to have been passed down from the Bugaku tradition of Shitennoji Temple in Osaka.

Source: 【糸魚川市・天津神社春大祭（糸魚川けんか祭り）】迫力満点のけんか神輿

Official information

The official Amatsu Shrine and Nunagawa Shrine website provides information about festivals and rituals, the history of the shrines, the grounds, and access.

Details about the festival events and venue are also available in the Amatsu Shrine Spring Grand Festival guide from the Itoigawa Tourist Guide.

Visit the official website

Amatsu Shrine Spring Grand Festival (Itoigawa Fighting Festival) at a Glance

The Amatsu Shrine Spring Grand Festival is a traditional event in Itoigawa City where you can experience both the spirited contest between 2 mikoshi and the quiet beauty of the Bugaku performed as an offering.

The fact that hopes for abundant fishing and a good harvest are entrusted to the outcome of the mikoshi contest reflects the festival’s deep ties to local life.