Yatai procession up and down the steps for the Omiya Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the procession entering and leaving the shrine, as bearers support the yatai while carrying them up and down about 85 stone steps.

The stone steps have a gradient of just over 21 degrees, and the shrine grounds are about 16 meters above ground level.

Visitors can watch a distinctive procession said to be unmatched elsewhere in the Banshu region, in which the yatai and stone steps form an integral part of the spectacle.

A procession passed down in Miki, with yatai carried up and down steep stone steps

What to expect

During the festival, bearers carry the yatai of each parish district up the stone steps of Omiya Hachimangu Shrine.

The yatai are carried up the steep steps and into the shrine grounds in the procession known as entering the shrine, followed by the procession back down those same steps, known as leaving the shrine.

Visitors can enjoy watching the entire procession as the yatai make their way along the steps.

Location and access

Venue and address

Omiya Hachimangu Shrine (2-19-1 Honmachi, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture)

Train and bus

It is about a 6-minute walk from Miki Station on the Kobe Electric Railway.

Source: 播州三木 大宮八幡宮秋祭り 2026｜10/10〜10/11

Address 2-19-1 Honmachi, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

In 2026, the night festival was held on October 10 (Saturday), and the day festival on October 11 (Sunday).

The announced schedule listed the shrine-entry procession at around 4:35 p.m. on October 10 and around 4 p.m. on October 11, and the shrine-exit procession at around 7:05 p.m. and 6:55 p.m., respectively.

All times are estimates and may vary depending on the day’s schedule.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

If you want to watch the procession entering and leaving the shrine along the stone steps, it’s a good idea to arrive at the venue earlier than the indicated times.

The 2026 event information states that the times for entering and leaving the shrine are estimates and may vary depending on the day’s schedule.

Around the stone steps, please follow on-site instructions so you do not obstruct the yatai or the bearers.

Origins and History of Yatai procession up and down the steps for the Omiya Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival

It is unclear when yatai first appeared in the festival.

Meanwhile, records from Maeda-cho contain references suggesting that processional floats believed to be prototypes of today’s yatai were brought out during the Kyoho era.

The present-day yatai procession entering and leaving the shrine was designated a Miki City cultural property in Heisei 21.

Official information

The Miki City Miki History Museum introduces the yatai procession up and down the steps for the Omiya Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival as a municipal cultural property.

The guide explains the event’s outline, the scale of the steps that the yatai climb and descend, and historical records.

This guide is suited to people who want to check basic information about the cultural property.

Yatai procession up and down the steps for the Omiya Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival at a Glance

The yatai procession up and down the steps for the Omiya Hachimangu Shrine Grand Festival is a yatai event passed down in Honmachi, Miki City.

A major highlight is the procession entering and leaving the shrine, as the yatai of each parish district are carried up about 85 steep stone steps and then back down the same route.

Enjoy a distinctive style of yatai procession said to be unique in the Banshu region, together with its history as a designated cultural property.