A traditional lion festival winding through Oegawa to spirited shouts
Oegawa Lion Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Mar
- Location
- Oegawa district
- Area
- Saitama Prefecture・Kumagaya City(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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This local spring festival has been passed down in Oegawa, Kumagaya City. The Oshishisama makes its way through the district to the carriers’ spirited shouts. The event carries on a tradition dating back to the Meiji era and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the city.
About Oegawa Lion Festival
The Oegawa Lion Festival is a spring festival passed down in Oegawa, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture.
The event features a lion procession through the district and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the city.
A traditional event cherished by the local community as a spring festival in Oegawa since the Meiji era.
Source: 3月8日 小江川獅子祭：熊谷市ホームページ
Festival highlights
A highlight is watching the Oshishisama make its way through the district.
During the procession, the carriers’ spirited shouts ring out, and local people support the festival.
As a local event that welcomes the arrival of spring, it offers a chance to enjoy the movements of the lion and its carriers, as well as the people watching along the route.
A traditional lion festival winding through Oegawa to spirited shouts
What to expect
During the festival, the Oshishisama makes its way through Oegawa district to the carriers’ shouts.
The main event is a lion procession through the local area.
Visitors watch as the Oshishisama makes its way through the district, accompanied by the carriers’ spirited shouts.
How to take part
The festival is carried on as a local traditional event.
Please check the host community’s guidance to find out whether members of the general public can take part as carriers in the Oshishisama procession.
Those wishing to watch can observe the Oshishisama as it makes its way through the district, for example, from along the route.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Oegawa district, Kumagaya City.
The shishigami-sama makes its rounds through the district.
Address Oegawa district, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Mar
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 Saitama Prefecture / Kumagaya City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
歓喜院
埼玉県熊谷市にある寺院
高城神社
埼玉県熊谷市にある神社
Origins and History of Oegawa Lion Festival
Since the Meiji era, the Oegawa Lion Festival has been cherished by the local community as a spring festival in Oegawa.
The festival was suspended for an extended period after the war, but support for its revival grew in the Heisei era.
Since then, it has been passed down as an important traditional event in Oegawa.
Official information
The Kumagaya City website describes the Oegawa Lion Festival as a city-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property and a spring festival passed down through the community, with a procession through the local area.
The Konan Cultural Properties Center is listed as a contact.
Oegawa Lion Festival at a Glance
The Oegawa Lion Festival is a spring festival held in Oegawa, Kumagaya City.
A major highlight of the festival is watching the Oshishisama make its way through the district to the carriers’ spirited shouts.
It is a traditional event that carries on the local culture dating back to the Meiji era and was revived after a period of suspension.
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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