A celebration of Iida’s traditional performing arts, featuring a great lion and a daimyo procession
Oneri Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Once every 7 years, in the latter half of March in the Years of the Tiger and Monkey / Once every 7 years
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Iida City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Held once every 7 years in Iida City, the Oneri Festival is a traditional event featuring the Higashino Great Lion and the daimyo procession, along with local and Japanese drumming.
About Oneri Festival
The Oneri Festival is a regular grand festival associated with Ōmiya Suwa Shrine in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture.
Held once every 7 years in the latter half of March in the Years of the Monkey and Tiger, it brings together shishimai, Japanese drumming and other performances from the Iida and Shimoina region.
The festival’s name is said to come from the procession accompanying the being carried through the streets.
It is one of Iida’s signature events, offering a chance to see the region’s traditional performing arts gathered in one place.
Source: お練り祭り - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
Major highlights include the Higashino Great Lion from the Higashino district and the daimyo procession from Honmachi 3-chome in the Kyōnan district.
The Higashino Great Lion’s head alone, including its covering, weighs about 30 kg. Inside its body, several to more than a dozen musicians perform.
The daimyo procession features movements reminiscent of processions from the Edo period, using long spears, palanquins and other items.
You can also enjoy performances by a wide variety of groups from Iida and Shimoina, including shishimai and Japanese drumming.
Source: 大名行列 - 飯田市ホームページ
A celebration of Iida’s traditional performing arts, featuring a great lion and a daimyo procession
What to expect
Local groups perform traditional arts such as shishimai and Japanese drumming at the festival.
During the shishimai, performers dance at the request of shops and homes that have made a celebratory offering. drums and flutes are played inside the .
In the daimyo procession, participants carrying ceremonial items move forward to calls and perform the requested-dance movements at neighborhood meeting places and the entrances of merchant homes.
The festival unfolds throughout the city center, with the procession moving along and performances taking place at various locations.
Location and access
- Address
Iida City
Host municipality 長野県飯田市
This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.
Dates and season
- Season
Once every 7 years, in the latter half of March in the Years of the Tiger and Monkey
- Frequency
Once every 7 years
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 Nagano Prefecture / Iida City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
飯田市立動物園
長野県飯田市にある動物園
飯田市美術博物館
長野県飯田市にある美術館兼博物館
Origins and History of Oneri Festival
The origins of the Oneri Festival are unclear, but festivals have been held at Iida’s Ōmiya Suwa Shrine since the Edo period.
It is said that after the great flood of 1715, townspeople gave thanks that the castle town had been spared and prayed for the festival to be revived. It was restored in 1719.
In 1734, it was established as a festival held once every 7 years in conjunction with the Onbashira Festival.
The daimyo procession is said to have first participated in the Oneri Festival in 1872.
Official information
飯田お練りまつり公式サイト 飯田お練りまつり | 南信州・飯田の地において、七年に一度の心意気。地域の伝統芸能が一堂に会し、桜花のごとく舞い踊る三日間。
Source: 飯田お練りまつり | 南信州・飯田の地において、七年に一度の心意気。地域の伝統芸能が一堂に会し、桜花のごとく舞い踊る三日間。
Oneri Festival at a Glance
The Oneri Festival, associated with Ōmiya Suwa Shrine in Iida City, is a once-every-7-years festival that brings together the region’s traditional performing arts.
Major highlights include the large lion head of the Higashino Great Lion and the daimyo procession from Honmachi 3-chome.
It offers a chance to see up close performances passed down through the town, such as shishimai performed at the request of celebratory donors and the movements of the procession.
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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