A traditional autumn festival that brings Kanuma’s streets to life with carved dashi and festival music
Kanuma Autumn Festival
The 2026 edition of Kanuma Autumn Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/10 〜 2026/10/11Ended
- Season / frequency
- The second Saturday and Sunday of October each year / Once a year
- Location
- 今宮神社を中心とした鹿沼市街地
- Area
- Tochigi Prefecture・Kanuma City(From Tokyo: approx. 50 min–1 h · 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- 通常の観覧料は案内されていません。2026年の有料観覧席は、今宮神社鳥居前の特別観覧席が1人3,000円、10日・11日の屋台観覧席が各1人1,000円です。
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Kanuma Autumn Festival is the annual festival of Imamiya Shrine, featuring carved parading through the streets of Kanuma. The procession of dashi and the festival music performances offer a glimpse of a festival tradition passed down through generations.
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Miyuki Meinaka File:Project for Inheritance, Kanuma Autumn Festival.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.About Kanuma Autumn Festival
The Kanuma Autumn Festival is a traditional event in central Kanuma held in conjunction with the annual festival of Kanuma Imamiya Shrine.
The festival carries on the traditions and refined spirit of festivals from the Edo period, with lavishly carved dashi parading through the city.
The central event, the “Festival Float Procession of the Kanuma Imamiya Shrine Festival,” is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan and is also registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Source: 鹿沼秋まつり | とちぎ旅ネット〜栃木の観光旅行情報サイト
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the procession of dashi decorated with elaborate carvings.
27 carved dashi make their way through the grounds of Imamiya Shrine and the streets of Kanuma, gathering on Furumineharamiya-dori on the second day.
During “buttsuke,” the dashi face one another at intersections and compete with their festival music, filling the night with powerful sounds.
A traditional autumn festival that brings Kanuma’s streets to life with carved dashi and festival music
What to expect
On the first day, from around noon, dashi pass through the gate and enter the grounds of Imamiya Shrine in a procession called “kurikomi.” In the evening, the dashi light their lanterns and return to their neighborhoods in a procession called “kuridashi.”
On the second day, after the citizens’ parade and the ceremonial procession, dashi set off from several locations and gather on Furumineharamiya-dori.
In the evening, the dashi perform a synchronized kirin maneuver and “buttsuke.”
How to take part
鹿沼秋まつりは、鹿沼市街地で行われる屋台行事や市民パレードを観覧できます。
2026年は、市民まつりのスポット演技や出発式アトラクションへの参加者募集も行われました。
一般来場者が屋台を曳くなどの参加条件は案内されていません。
2026年の市民まつりでは、スポット演技や出発式アトラクションに参加する人を募集していました。
観覧席を利用する場合は、今宮神社鳥居前の特別観覧席が事前予約制で、電話で申し込みます。
10日・11日の屋台観覧席は当日販売のみです。
Source: お知らせ | 鹿沼秋まつり公式サイト
Source: 鹿沼秋まつり開催！(2026.9) | 鹿沼市 公式ホームページ
Location and access
- Venue and address
今宮神社（〒322-0068 栃木県鹿沼市今宮町1692）を中心とした鹿沼市街地です。
- Train and bus
東武日光線新鹿沼駅から徒歩約15分、JR日光線鹿沼駅から徒歩約20分です。
2026年はリーバスが全線無料で運行され、最寄りの臨時バス停は「万町」「鳥居跡町」です。
- By car
About 15 minutes from the Kanuma Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway.
- Parking
駐車場は分散して約1,000台です。
2026年は駐車場利用時に秋まつり保存・運営協力金として1台1,000円が必要で、鹿沼市花木センターは1台500円、かぬまケーブルテレビホールは無料です。
Source: 鹿沼秋まつり - 鹿沼市観光情報サイト「鹿沼日和」 / Venue · イベント案内 | 鹿沼秋まつり公式サイト
Address 〒322-0068 栃木県鹿沼市今宮町1692
Dates and season
2026年の開催案内（掲載日程は終了しています）
2026年は10月10日（土）・11日（日）に開催される予定として案内されていました。
10日は12時30分から屋台繰り込み、17時から屋台繰り出しが行われます。
11日は9時から御巡幸、14時から屋台揃い曳き、17時55分からぶっつけが予定されています。
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 Tochigi Prefecture / Kanuma City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
2026年は10月10日・11日の9時から22時まで、会場周辺で交通規制が行われる予定として案内されていました。
周辺駐車場は混雑しやすいため、無料のシャトルバスやリーバスの利用が案内されています。
リーバスは規制区域を避けて運行し、規制区域内のバス停は利用できません。
Source: 令和8年10月10日（土曜日）、11日（日曜日）「鹿沼秋まつり」に伴うリーバス、予約バスの運行について | 鹿沼市 公式ホームページ
Nearby attractions
Near the festival venue are the Kanuma City Cultural Activities Exchange Center, no Machi Chuo Park, and Machi no Eki Shin-Kanuma-juku.
All are introduced as nearby facilities on the Kanuma Autumn Festival information page.
If visiting alongside the festival, check each facility’s opening status and visitor information.
川上澄生美術館
栃木県鹿沼市にある美術館初代館長小林利延の研究者としての経歴から、ユニークな発想で、小規模ながら、川上澄生研究の中心となった。
Origins and History of Kanuma Autumn Festival
The origins of the Kanuma Autumn Festival are linked to the start of Kanuma-juku’s revival in 1608, when Imamiya Shrine was rebuilt.
According to tradition, when a prolonged drought struck, and people from nearby communities held a rainmaking festival for 3 days and 3 nights, and a thunderstorm followed. This is said to have marked the beginning of the annual festival.
The dashi developed from stages used for offerings such as dance, and by the late early-modern period they had taken on a form close to what we see today, with carvings and lacquerwork.
Source: 起源と屋台行事（鹿沼今宮神社祭） | 鹿沼秋まつり公式サイト
Official information
The official Kanuma Autumn Festival website provides information about the festival’s origins, dashi events, and access to the venue.
For inquiries, contact the Kanuma Autumn Festival Executive Committee (Kanuma City Tourism and Exchange Division).
The event information is also posted on the official Kanuma City website.
Kanuma Autumn Festival at a Glance
The Kanuma Autumn Festival is a traditional event in Kanuma City, centered on the annual festival of Imamiya Shrine, where visitors can enjoy carved dashi processions and performances of festival music.
A variety of dashi events take place over 2 days, including kurikomi, kuridashi, the dashi procession, and “buttsuke.”
You can experience the splendor of the dashi and the sound of festival music passed down through generations in the streets of Kanuma.
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
