A grand festival at Suzuka Myojin Shrine, bringing color to Zama’s summer with mikoshi and festival music
Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival
The 2026 edition of Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/08/01Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on August 1 / Every year
- Location
- Suzuka Myojin Shrine
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Zama 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival is held every year on August 1 at Suzuka Myojin Shrine, the principal guardian shrine of Zama-go. The Grand Festival ceremony and the procession through the parishioner districts offer a close-up view of the faith and festival traditions passed down in the local community.
About Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival
The Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival is one of the most important annual festivals at Suzuka Myojin Shrine, the principal guardian shrine of Zama-go.
The annual festival is held on August 1, and prayers are offered for the well-being of parishioners and worshippers.
The shrine is located in the Iriya area of Zama City and has long supported the faith of the local community.
Source: 年間祭事 | 【公式】座間郷総鎮守 鈴鹿明神社 / 鈴鹿明神社について | 【公式】座間郷総鎮守 鈴鹿明神社
Festival highlights
Highlights include the mikoshi procession through the parishioner districts and its return to the shrine in a procession known as miya-iri.
The feature festival music and dance performances. In some years, mikoshi bearers also move the mikoshi up and down in a practice known as tate-momi.
The Yoimiya Festival on the previous evening also features festival music and a children’s mikoshi procession, making it enjoyable alongside the Grand Festival.
Source: 鈴鹿明神社で例大祭 ８月１日 本神輿が渡御（とぎょ） | 座間 | タウンニュース
A grand festival at Suzuka Myojin Shrine, bringing color to Zama’s summer with mikoshi and festival music
What to expect
On the day of the Grand Festival, the ceremony is held in the morning, followed by a mikoshi procession through the parishioner districts.
After traveling around the area, the mikoshi returns to the shrine in a procession known as miya-iri.
Visitors can watch the ceremonies in the shrine grounds and, depending on the year, enjoy performances such as festival music and dance offered to the shrine.
How to take part
Visitors may watch the mikoshi procession and ceremonies.
Parishioners and local participants have taken part as mikoshi bearers and in the children’s mikoshi, but please check the information for each year to see whether general visitors can participate as bearers.
Please enjoy visiting the shrine and viewing the grounds without disrupting the progress of the ceremonies.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Suzuka Myojin Shrine (2-46-1 Iriya Nishi, Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture).
- Train and bus
It is about a 10-minute walk from the west exit of Zama Station on the Odakyu Line, and about a 10-minute walk from Iriya Station on the JR Sagami Line.
From the “Zama Station” bus stop at the east exit of Zama Station, take a bus bound for Sobudaishita Station or Zama Yotsuya and get off at the “Suzuka” stop. It is a 1-minute walk from there.
- By car
It is about 10 minutes from Ken-O Atsugi IC or Ken-O Atsugi Parking Smart Interchange, and about 20 minutes by car from Ayase Smart IC on the Tomei Expressway.
- Parking
There are spaces for 12 vehicles and 1 vehicle with a disability permit in front of the Sanshuden, as well as 20 spaces in the visitor parking lot.
On Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, temporary parking is available for 40 vehicles.
Address 2-46-1 Iriya-nishi, Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 Event Information (The listed dates have passed)
The 2026 Grand Festival was held on August 1 (Saturday), with the ceremony beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The Yoimiya Festival was scheduled for the previous day, July 31 (Friday), with the children’s mikoshi departing the shrine at 18:15 and the Yoimiya Festival ceremony announced for 19:00.
The annual event schedule lists the mikoshi procession on the day of the Grand Festival as running from 11:00 to 21:30.
Source: [3ページ目] 祭事 | 【公式】座間郷総鎮守 鈴鹿明神社
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 Kanagawa Prefecture / Zama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
In 2026, the shrine announced that prayer request reception would be suspended during the morning due to the grand festival and resume at 12 p.m.
The shrine grounds and surrounding roads may be crowded during the mikoshi procession and miya-iri. When watching, please choose a location that does not interfere with the ceremonies or procession.
The shrine grounds have a ramp for wheelchair access and an accessible restroom.
Nearby attractions
座間神社
神奈川県座間市にある神社
Suzuka Myojin Shrine
神奈川県座間市にある神社
Origins and History of Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival
According to tradition, Suzuka Myojin Shrine was founded during the reign of Emperor Kinmei, the 29th emperor.
It is said that when a mikoshi was carried by sea from Suzuka-go in Ise, a violent storm drove it ashore at the eastern peak of the inlet in Sagami Province, where local residents established a shrine.
In Koji 2, Susanoo-no-Mikoto was enshrined alongside the existing deity, and in Meiji 2, the shrine was designated as a regional gosha shrine.
Official information
Suzuka Myojin Shrine’s official website provides information on annual events, the Grand Festival, the Yoimiya Festival, transportation, and more.
For the 2026 Grand Festival, the official event information listed the ceremony time on August 1.
Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival at a Glance
The Suzuka Myojin Shrine Grand Festival is an important festival in Zama, held every year on August 1.
Following the Grand Festival ceremony, a mikoshi processes through the parishioner districts, offering a close-up view of an event closely tied to local faith.
Along with the Yoimiya Festival on the previous evening, the children’s mikoshi, and festival music, this event is cherished as one of Suzuka Myojin Shrine’s summer festivals.
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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