A powerful autumn festival in Himeji, where mikoshi and floats resound together
Nada Fighting Festival
The 2026 edition of Nada Fighting Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/14 〜 2026/10/15Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on October 14 and 15 / Every year
- Location
- Matsubara Hachiman Shrine
- Area
- Hyogo Prefecture・Himeji City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 40 min–3 h 10 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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A powerful autumn festival at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in Shirahama-cho, Himeji City, featuring 3 and 7 floats.
About Nada Fighting Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Corpse Reviver File:Nada no Kenka matsuri 04.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Corpse Reviver File:Nada no Kenka matsuri 01.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.The Nada Fighting Festival is the common name for the autumn festival held at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in Shirahama-cho, Himeji City.
Its main features are a ritual in which 3 mikoshi are forcefully clashed together and a procession of 7 floats through the streets.
The festival has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Himeji City and Hyogo Prefecture.
Passed down through the local community as an autumn festival, it is one of Himeji’s signature traditional events.
Source: 灘のけんか祭り｜イベント｜【公式】兵庫県観光サイト 兵庫観光ナビ
Festival highlights
The main highlight is a ritual in which 3 mikoshi are forcefully clashed together.
In addition, during the float procession, 7 floats move through the streets, with floats from each district parading and conveying the festival’s excitement.
During the Hongu main festival, the mikoshi are brought together at the procession grounds at the foot of Mount Otabiyama, followed by the float procession.
Don’t miss the scene of the floats vying with one another in front of the tower gate during the Yoimiya eve festival.
Source: 姫路の祭り | 姫路市
A powerful autumn festival in Himeji, where mikoshi and floats resound together
What to expect
The festival takes place over 2 days: the Yoimiya eve festival and the Hongu main festival.
During the Yoimiya eve festival, floats from each district travel through their neighborhoods, visit local guardian shrines, and then enter Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, where they perform a float procession in front of the tower gate.
During the Hongu main festival, after rituals such as shiokake, 3 mikoshi and the floats head to Mount Otabiyama.
At the procession grounds, the mikoshi are brought together in a forceful display, followed by the float procession, forming the festival’s central spectacle.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Matsubara Hachiman Shrine (399 Ko, Shirahama-cho, Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture).
The procession ground at Otabiyama is a 15-minute walk west of Matsubara Hachiman Shrine.
- Train and bus
Take the Sanyo Electric Railway to Shirahamanomiya Station, then walk 5 minutes south.
On the festival days, limited express and express trains make unscheduled stops.
To reach Otabiyama, walk 15 minutes west from Shirahamanomiya Station or 10 minutes southeast from Mega Station.
- Parking
As there is no parking, visitors are advised to use public transportation.
Source: 交通アクセス｜灘のけんか祭り・松原八幡神社秋季例大祭
Address 399 Kō, Shirahama-cho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)
The festival is held every year on October 14 and the 15th.
The 14th is the eve of the festival, and the 15th is the main festival day. The eve features the dashi entering the shrine grounds, while the main festival day includes the mikoshi and dashi procession to Otabiyama, among other events.
In 2026, October 14 falls on a Wednesday, and October 15 falls on a Thursday.
The detailed schedule should be checked each year.
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 Hyogo Prefecture / Himeji City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions listed include Matogata Tidal Flat and Swimming Beach, Koko-en Garden, and Himeji Castle.
Other listed attractions include Oishi Shrine (Ishi no Hoden), Himeji Central Park, and Shoshazan Engyoji Temple.
Information about the attractions’ locations relative to the festival venue, travel times, and operating status is not provided here.
兵庫県立歴史博物館
兵庫県姫路市にある博物館
好古園
兵庫県姫路市の姫路公園内にある日本庭園
姫路セントラルパーク
兵庫県姫路市にあるレジャー施設
姫路城
兵庫県にある日本の城
Origins and History of Nada Fighting Festival
However, the “Hachiman-gu Goshinji Go-kiteishiki,” dating to 1758, remains as a record setting out the festival rites and procession.
The “Matsubara Hachiman-gu Festival Scroll,” depicting the festival during the Kōka era (1844–1847), has also been passed down.
These records allow us to trace the festival’s history back at least to the Edo period.
Official information
The festival’s official website provides information about the Nada Fighting Festival, Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, the festival’s history and schedule, event times, and access.
The contact number listed for Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, the venue, is 079-245-0413.
Information to check before visiting, including the festival schedule and traffic restrictions, is also available on the official website.
Nada Fighting Festival at a Glance
The Nada Fighting Festival is Himeji’s autumn festival, with mikoshi and floats parading at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine.
Its main highlights are a ritual in which 3 mikoshi are forcefully clashed together and floats moving through the streets and the procession grounds at Mount Otabiyama.
It is held each year on October 14 and 15, and the dates fall on the same days in 2026.
The venue is accessible on foot from Shirahamanomiya Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway; no parking information is provided.
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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