Niino’s Autumn Festival, Bringing Together 7 Mikoshi and Shishimai
Niino Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on November 3 / Every year
- Location
- Inazukano Sacred Ritual Site
- Area
- Okayama Prefecture・Tsuyama 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/21
The Niino Festival brings together 7 from 5 shrines in Niinoyamagata, Tsuyama City. , the mikoshi procession, and the “Urayasu no Mai” performed by shrine maidens carry on the tradition.
About Niino Festival
The Niino Festival is an autumn festival where 7 mikoshi from 5 nearby shrines gather at the Inazukano Sacred Ritual Site, centered around Hachiman Shrine in Niinoyamagata, Tsuyama City.
Following the mikoshi procession and shishimai, shrine maidens perform and offer the “Urayasu no Mai.”
It is designated an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is held every year on November 3.
Source: PDF資料
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the sacred procession and mikoshi procession as 7 mikoshi gather at Inazukano, line up, and are placed at the sacred seat.
Two lions lead the way, and at the festival site, the mikoshi procession is repeated after a ceremony and gagaku performance.
Finally, shrine maidens perform and offer the “Urayasu no Mai” in front of all 7 mikoshi, bringing both strength and tranquility to the same festival site.
Source: 新野まつり - 津山瓦版
Niino’s Autumn Festival, Bringing Together 7 Mikoshi and Shishimai
What to expect
During the festival, mikoshi that have undergone a spirit-transferring ceremony at their respective shrines head to Inazukano. Ceremonies, naorai, the hoe-waving ritual, gagaku performances, and other events are held at the festival site.
Afterward, the mikoshi procession is repeated, and the movements of the shishimai performers and mikoshi bearers carry the festival forward.
The shrine maidens also perform and offer the “Urayasu no Mai” in front of all 7 mikoshi.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Inazukano Sacred Ritual Site, Niinoyamagata, Tsuyama City
- Train and bus
From JR Tsuyama Station, take a bus bound for Nihonbara and get off at “Tsuyama City Katsuhoku Branch Office”; then walk 15 minutes.
Address Niinoyamagata, Tsuyama City
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on November 3
- Frequency
Every year
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 / Tsuyama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
津山まなびの鉄道館
岡山県津山市にある鉄道に関する博物館
津山城
岡山県津山市の城
衆楽園
岡山県津山市にある日本庭園
Origins and History of Niino Festival
The details of the Niino Festival’s origins are unclear, but its present form is thought to have taken shape around the Muromachi period.
It was designated an intangible folk cultural asset of the former Katsuhoku Town in Showa 48, and in Showa 52April 8 it was designated an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Old documents record a lawsuit in Bunsei 11 (1828) concerning a stage for offering , as well as how the festival continued afterward.
Source: 新野まつり（岡山県重要無形民俗文化財） - 津山瓦版
Official information
Okayama Prefecture’s cultural property materials introduce the Niino Festival as a prefecture-designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and provide its location, festival details, public access information, and directions.
Niino Festival at a Glance
The Niino Festival is held around Hachiman Shrine in Niinoyamagata, Tsuyama City. Mikoshi from 5 shrines gather, with a total of 7 mikoshi taking part in a sacred procession and mikoshi procession at the Inazukano Sacred Ritual Site.
The festival also features shishimai and gagaku performances, as well as the “Urayasu no Mai,” performed and offered by shrine maidens.
Its present form is thought to have taken shape around the Muromachi period, and the festival has been passed down as an Okayama Prefecture-designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
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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