Oiso’s spring festival, where a mikoshi climbs the steep slopes of Mount Koma
Kōraiji Festival: Procession of the Mountain Mikoshi
The 2026 edition of Kōraiji Festival: Procession of the Mountain has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/18 〜 2026/04/19Ended
- Season / frequency
- Mid-April
- Location
- Takaku Shrine, Mount Koma
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Oiso Town(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · 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
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Koraiji Festival, held in Koma, Oiso Town, is a spring religious ceremony in which the mountain mikoshi is carried from Takaku Shrine up Mount Koma. The movement of the mikoshi and its bearers along the steep mountain path is an iconic sight of the festival.
About Kōraiji Festival: Procession of the Mountain Mikoshi
The Koma-dera Festival is a ritual passed down as the spring festival of Takaku Shrine. Its centerpiece is the “Yama Mikoshi,” in which a mikoshi is carried in procession to Mount Koma.
The festival began in the Edo period as a market at the gates of Koma-dera. After the temple was abolished during the separation of Shinto and Buddhism in the Meiji period, the event continued as a festival of Takaku Shrine.
It is an event that conveys the area’s history and faith, as a mikoshi is carried up the mountainside of Mount Koma.
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the mountain mikoshi, weighing 250 kg, being pulled up the slope of Mount Koma.
People and mikoshi move together along a path said to have a gradient of 60 degrees or more.
Festival-period stalls can be found, and religious ceremonies are held at the upper shrine. A distinctive feature is that you can watch the procession up the mountain and the ceremonies in succession.
Source: 町指定民俗資料（無形民俗文化財）「高麗の山神輿」について／大磯町ホームページ / 高麗寺祭（山神輿）／大磯町ホームページ
Oiso’s spring festival, where a mikoshi climbs the steep slopes of Mount Koma
What to expect
In 2026, the neighborhood procession and the procession to the upper shrine took place on April 18, and the mountain mikoshi climbed the Otokozaka slope.
The following day, the participants gathered on the for the return procession and descended the Onnazaka slope. After reaching the shrine, the shrine-entry ceremony and hall-entry ceremony took place.
Those wishing to pull the mountain mikoshi should gather on the shrine grounds at 5 p.m. on the 18th, according to the event information.
Source: 令和8年 春季大祭（山神輿）開催のお知らせ - 高来神社
How to take part
In 2026, information was provided for people wishing to gather and pull the main rope of the mountain mikoshi.
You can watch the mikoshi procession from along the route or from the shrine grounds, but if you wish to take part as a rope-puller, you must follow the meeting time and instructions given on site.
As the event takes place on a mountain path, please participate only to the extent you feel comfortable.
According to the 2026 information, those wishing to pull the main rope should gather on the shrine grounds at 5 p.m. on April 18.
The information does not specify whether advance registration is required, how to register, or whether there is a participation fee.
If you take part, please follow the instructions given on the shrine grounds that day.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Takaku Shrine (2-9-47 Koma, Oiso, Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture) and Mount Koma.
- Train and bus
Get off at Oiso Station on the JR Tokaido Line.
- By car
One suggested route to Oiso is via the Odawara-Atsugi Road from the Atsugi IC on the Tomei Expressway.
- Parking
Oiso Town Hall Parking Lot and Oiso Port Parking Lot are listed.
Source: 大磯へのアクセス／大磯町ホームページ
Address 2-9-47 Koma, Oiso Town, Naka District, Kanagawa Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)
In 2026, the festival was held on April 18 (Saturday) and the 19th (Sunday).
The schedule included a neighborhood procession and a procession to the upper shrine starting at 6 p.m. on the 18th, followed by the return procession, shrine-entry ceremony, and hall-entry ceremony on the 19th.
The 2026 event information states that the procession to the upper shrine on the 18th would take place after sunset.
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 Kanagawa Prefecture / Oiso Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The mountain mikoshi travels along the steep slopes of Mount Koma, so it is important to wear clothing and footwear suitable for walking on mountain paths.
The 2026 procession to the upper shrine takes place after sunset, when it is getting dark, so please bring a light such as a flashlight.
If you plan to take part as a rope-puller, go to the shrine grounds at the specified meeting time and follow the instructions given on site.
Nearby attractions
六所神社 (大磯町)
神奈川県中郡大磯町国府本郷にある神社
湘南平
神奈川県平塚市と大磯町の境にある丘陵
Origins and History of Kōraiji Festival: Procession of the Mountain Mikoshi
The Koraiji Festival is said to have begun in the Edo period as a market in front of Koraiji Temple.
After Koraiji Temple was abolished under the Meiji government's policy of separating Buddhism and Shinto, the festival continued as the spring festival of Takaku Shrine.
A plant market used to be held during the festival period, but plants are no longer displayed; instead, festival stalls can be found.
Official information
Information about the event and its designation as a cultural property is available on Oiso Town’s official website.
Takaku Shrine’s official website also posts information about the Spring Grand Festival (mountain mikoshi) and its annual events.
Source: トップページ - 高来神社
Kōraiji Festival: Procession of the Mountain Mikoshi at a Glance
The Koraiji Festival is a traditional event featuring a mountain mikoshi procession around Takaku Shrine and Mount Koma in Koma, Oiso Town.
The distinctive sight of a 250 kg mikoshi being pulled up the steep mountainside is one of the festival’s major highlights.
In 2026, the neighborhood procession, procession to the upper shrine, return procession, and hall-entry ceremony took place on April 18 and the 19th.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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