Nakajo Festival

Festival highlights

A highlight is the “aori-ai,” in which flower floats and dashi are moved with great energy.

Along with the distinctive movement of the two-wheeled dashi, whose two ends are raised and lowered, live performances and dancing featuring geisha, shamisen, singers, taiko drums, and shinobue flutes are also presented.

On September 5, multiple dashi take part in a simultaneous aori-ai, bringing the festival’s excitement to life.

Source: 中条祭り - Wikipedia

An autumn festival in Tainai, where flower floats and dashi dance to festival music

What to expect

The festival begins with a folk-song parade on September 3, followed on the 4th and 5th by mikoshi processions, daiwa floats, morning taiko, and processions of flower floats and dashi.

On the 5th, children’s mikoshi, school marching bands and concert bands, yosakoi dancing, and Hangaku taiko are also scheduled.

On the 6th, events featuring flower floats, dashi, neighborhood dashi, and mikoshi are held, while yatai line Honcho and other areas during the festival.

How to take part

Visitors can watch the event.

参加費：無料

Location and access

Venue

Around Honcho, Tainai City, including Kumano Wakamiya Shrine and Honcho Street

Address

8 Honcho, Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture

Address 8 Honcho, Tainai City, Niigata Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

For 2026, event information was published for September 3 (Thu) through September 6 (Sun).

On the 3rd, a folk-song parade is held on Honcho Street; on the 4th, mikoshi processions, daiwa floats, dashi processions, and fireworks are scheduled; and on the 5th, children’s mikoshi, performances, and taiko are planned. Events featuring flower floats, dashi, and mikoshi were listed for the 6th.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

As dashi processions and aori-ai take place, please take care not to obstruct the routes of the dashi and mikoshi.

If you plan to see the evening folk-song parade or fireworks, allow for the time of day and congestion around the venue when getting around.

The yatai area is listed as Honcho, and stall availability and pedestrian conditions may change.

Source: 胎内市／令和８年度中条まつり臨時露店の出店者を募集します

Nearby attractions

Kumano Wakamiya Shrine’s main sanctuary is introduced as a nearby site closely associated with the festival.

Nearby attractions also include the Okuyamaso History Plaza and Okuyamaso History Museum, where visitors can explore Tainai City’s history, as well as the Okuyamaso Castle Site and Egami Castle Site.

Specific distances from the festival venue and walking times are not provided for any of these places.

Origins and History of Nakajo Festival

The Nakajo Festival was once called the “Grand Festival of Kumano Wakamiya Shrine.”

The history of the dashi is said to have begun in 1862, when the Shinmei group received a small daiwa float. In 1880, it was first paraded as a dashi.

Afterward, with interruptions during wartime, each group’s dashi were developed, and since 1979 the festival has been known by the name “Nakajo Festival.”

Official information

Event information and program details are published on Niigata Prefecture’s tourism information website.

Information from Tainai City can be checked for the area and operating period of temporary yatai.

For inquiries, the Nakajo Festival Executive Committee Office is listed at 0254-43-3624.

Nakajo Festival at a Glance

The Nakajo Festival is a Tainai City festival centered on the annual grand festival of Kumano Wakamiya Shrine, with folk-song parades, mikoshi, daiwa floats, and processions of flower floats and dashi.

A particularly distinctive feature is the aori-ai of dashi carrying geisha dancers and festival musicians.

For 2026, event information was available for September 3 through the 6th, with a variety of events planned mainly around Honcho.