Nagaya’s Horse Run Festival, featuring a mikoshi, dashi, children’s dances, and shishimai
Nagaya Shrine Festival
The 2026 edition of Nagaya Shrine Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/01 〜 2026/08/02Ended
- Season / frequency
- From the night of August 1 to August 2
- Location
- Nagaya Shrine
- Area
- Gifu Prefecture・Motosu City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h–2 h 30 min · bullet train + connecting 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
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
This festival is held at Nagaya Shrine in Nagaya, Motosu City, and features a procession, children’s dances and on a , and a horse run. According to the 2026 event information, activities are planned at the shrine and in the local community, from the trial performance on the previous night through the main festival.
About Nagaya Shrine Festival
The Nagaya Shrine festival is held at Nagaya Shrine in Nagaya, Motosu City, and features a mikoshi procession, children’s dances and shishimai on a dashi, and a horse run.
The mikoshi is carried in procession through Nagaya alongside a sacred horse, while children’s dances and shishimai are offered on the dashi.
A trial performance is also held the night before amid bonfires. The event is remembered as a tradition that connects the shrine with the life of the local community.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the children’s dance and shishimai performed atop the dashi, as well as the horse running through the .
In the shishimai, the large lion dances after the small lion. When the large lion climbs onto the , the dashi is pulled forward.
This sequence is repeated 3 times. Finally, a horse runs along the 3 times, and on the third run, five-colored paper pieces scatter like a shower of blossoms.
Nagaya’s Horse Run Festival, featuring a mikoshi, dashi, children’s dances, and shishimai
What to expect
The festival begins with a purification rite in front of the main hall. The priest, children, and 3 mikoshi are carried in procession along the sando to the shrine marker.
The children then dance on the second floor of the dashi, which moves into the shrine grounds to the dances of the small and large lions.
At the end of the dance, the horse runners leave the shrine grounds, run along the sando 3 times, and the festival concludes.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Nagaya Shrine / Nagaya, Motosu City
- Train and bus
From JR Gifu Station, take the Gifu Bus Morera Chūsetsu Line bound for Morera Gifu. Transfer to the municipal bus Motusu–Itonuki Line, either the counterclockwise or clockwise route, and get off at Nagaya -mae. From JR Ōgaki Station, take the Tarumi Railway to Morera Gifu. Transfer to the municipal bus Motusu–Itonuki Line, either the counterclockwise or clockwise route, and get off at Nagaya Jinja-mae.
- By car
Use the parking lot at Motosu Municipal Sports Plaza.
Address Nagaya, Motosu City
Dates and season
2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)
August 1, 2026 (Saturday): Trial performance from around 8:30 p.m.
August 2, 2026 (Sunday): Festival events are scheduled from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
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 Gifu Prefecture / Motosu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
地震断層観察館・体験館
岐阜県本巣市にある根尾谷断層に関する博物館
Origins and History of Nagaya Shrine Festival
According to tradition, a small shrine called “Suginomiya” originally stood at this site. In 1532, Nagaya Kageoki, lord of Aiba Castle, brought a divided spirit from Gion Shrine, establishing the shrine. It was later moved to its present location.
Nagaya Shrine was formerly known as Nagaya Gozu Tenno and was given its current name in 1869.
The main hall was rebuilt in 1691 and is a Gifu Prefecture-designated Important Cultural Property.
Official information
The festival details and location can be confirmed on the Motosu City official website page “Nagaya Shrine Festival” and in the cultural properties information on the Gifu Prefecture official website.
Nagaya Shrine Festival at a Glance
The Nagaya Shrine festival is an event held in Nagaya, Motosu City, featuring a mikoshi procession, children’s dances and shishimai on a dashi, and a horse run.
According to the 2026 event information, there will be a trial performance on the night of August 1 and the main festival on August 2.
The festival is characterized by the movement of the mikoshi and dashi, 3 horse runs, and a shower of five-colored paper pieces. The venue is Nagaya Shrine.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
