Oto-shima's autumn festival, where lantern-lit floats climb the stone steps amid shouts
Oto-shima Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/24 〜 2026/10/25Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- Autumn / Every year
- Location
- The grounds of Toshima Shrine and the entire area of the former Otoshima Village
- Area
- Okayama Prefecture・Kurashiki City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 10 min–3 h 40 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/21
An autumn festival celebrated at Toshima Shrine in Oto-shima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City. Boats, Chitose-raku floats, and floats parade through the area, and on Sunday evening the shrine-entry procession climbs 170 stone steps.
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Tatushin File:Otoshima festival 2015 1.JPG / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.About Oto-shima Festival
The Oto-shima Festival is an autumn grand festival held at Toshima Shrine, the local guardian shrine in Oto-shima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
Large festival objects such as boats, Chitose-raku floats, and danjiri floats, as well as , enliven the festival, and local residents offer them to the shrine.
Designated a Kurashiki City Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Heisei 4, it is a local festival that has been passed down for generations.
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the boats, Chitose-raku floats, danjiri floats, and other festival objects climbing the 170 stone steps at Toshima Shrine on Sunday evening.
Lit by lanterns, the large festival floats move forward in a weaving motion from side to side, accompanied by singing and shouts.
The shrine-entry procession from around 6 p.m. is a chance to experience up close the bearers' powerful movements and the festival's colorful paraphernalia.
Oto-shima's autumn festival, where lantern-lit floats climb the stone steps amid shouts
What to expect
On Saturday, the Chitose-raku floats, boats, and danjiri floats from each district proceed separately. On Sunday, the procession of large festival floats tours Oto-shima, beginning with the morning procession away from the shrine.
The procession follows either an “eastern route” or a “western route,” with the direction changing from year to year.
In the evening, the shrine-entry procession takes place at night: boats, Chitose-raku floats, and danjiri floats are carried up the stone steps and offered to the shrine.
Source: 乙島まつり - Wikipedia
How to take part
You can watch festival events featuring boat-shaped floats (御船), 千歳楽 floats, and danjiri floats at Tojima Shrine and along the procession route.
To get to the venue, take a bus from JR Shin-Kurashiki Station to “Tojima Park,” then walk about 5 minutes after getting off.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The grounds of Toshima Shrine (Oshima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City) and throughout the former village of Oshima.
- Train and bus
From JR Shin-Kurashiki Station, take a bus bound for the west gate of Sumitomo Heavy Industries for about 10 minutes, get off at Toshima Park, then walk about 5 minutes.
- By car
About 20 minutes from the Tamashima IC on the Sanyo Expressway.
- Parking
Temporary Oshima Festival parking lot (north of JFE Galvanizing & Coating Co., Ltd.’s Kurashiki Plant; about 500 spaces).
Source: 乙島祭り（戸島神社秋季例大祭） – 倉敷観光WEB / 高梁川流域連盟 乙島祭り｜Takahashi River Basin League
Address 1251 Oto-shima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Dates and season
The 2026 festival is scheduled for October 24 (Saturday) and the 25th (Sunday).
It is usually held on the final Saturday and Sunday of October. On Sunday, processions of Obamono and mikoshi make their way through Oshima from early morning.
According to the 2026 schedule, the nighttime miya-iri, the festival’s main event, is scheduled to begin at around 18:00 on October 25 (Sunday).
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 Okayama Prefecture / Kurashiki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
During the nighttime miya-iri, the mifune, senzairaku, and danjiri, lit by lanterns, weave from side to side as they climb the 170 stone steps, accompanied by singing and shouts.
Obamono processions make their way through the neighborhood to the beat of and Ise Ondo, returning to the in the evening.
The offering procession on the steep stone steps is a highlight. When watching at night, take care where you step and watch the movement of the procession.
Nearby attractions
Near the venue, a walking route is recommended through Tamashima's port town, once frequented by Kitamaebune trading ships.
As another way to explore the history of the Tamashima area associated with the Oto-shima Festival, you can consider this alongside your festival visit.
The walking route is described as free and requiring no reservation.
ブラジリアンパーク 鷲羽山ハイランド
岡山県倉敷市下津井にある遊園地
倉敷アイビースクエア
岡山県倉敷市にある複合観光施設
倉敷刀剣美術館
岡山県倉敷市にある私立美術館
倉敷市水島緑地福田公園
岡山県倉敷市にある総合運動公園
倉敷市立美術館
岡山県倉敷市目にある美術館
倉敷民藝館
岡山県倉敷市の倉敷美観地区にある博物館
大原美術館
岡山県倉敷市にある美術館
大橋家住宅
岡山県倉敷市にある町屋
現代医学教育博物館
岡山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Oto-shima Festival
The autumn festival at Toshima Shrine is said to have a history of about 700 years.
An old document describing the 1826 sacred procession records that a mikoshi drum and a boat joined the procession.
While many festival records were lost in a fire during the Meiji period, the festival dates have been the last Saturday and Sunday of October since 1968, and the festival was designated a Kurashiki City Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1992.
Official information
Details on the venue, 2026 dates, and transportation are available on the Oto-shima Festival page of Okayama Tourism WEB.
Information about the Oto-shima Festival is also available on the official Kurashiki City website.
Toshima Shrine's phone number, 086-522-3377, is listed for inquiries about the venue.
Oto-shima Festival at a Glance
The Oto-shima Festival is an autumn festival held at Toshima Shrine, featuring boats, Chitose-raku floats, danjiri floats, and other festival objects parading through the area before finally climbing 170 stone steps.
The shrine-entry procession on Sunday evening, amid lantern light, singing, and shouts, is especially memorable.
In 2026, it will be held on October 24 and 25, at Toshima Shrine in Oto-shima, Tamashima, Kurashiki City.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/21
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