Takebe’s autumn festival, where teams compete to raise mikoshi high and shishimai and staff performances enliven the festivities
Takebe Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The second Sunday of October each year / Every year
- Location
- Shichisha Hachimangu Shrine
- Area
- Okayama Prefecture・Okayama 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
- Last updated
- 2026/11/12
The Takebe Festival is a joint festival where from eight shrines in the Takebe district gather at Shichisha Hachimangu Shrine. Alongside the mikoshi processions and displays in which teams compete to raise them higher, and performances with staffs are also offered.
About Takebe Festival
The Takebe Festival is a joint autumn festival where mikoshi from Shichisha Hachimangu Shrine and eight shrines in the former Takebe area gather in the Takebe district.
At Shichisha Hachimangu Shrine, mikoshi from each shrine are carried in spirited processions. At the signal given with the , they are raised high, with teams competing to raise them the highest.
Shishimai kagura and staff performances are also offered, conveying the ties between the shrines of the Takebe area and their .
Festival highlights
A highlight is the scene in which mikoshi from eight shrines in the area gather, each carried in a spirited procession before being raised high.
Teams compete to raise the mikoshi the highest, making for a distinctive sequence that is unique to this joint festival, where multiple shrines gather.
The festival is also enlivened by two-person shishimai descended from the Ise kagura tradition and offerings performed with staffs.
Takebe’s autumn festival, where teams compete to raise mikoshi high and shishimai and staff performances enliven the festivities
What to expect
During the festival, mikoshi from the shrines in the Takebe area visit ujiko homes on their way to Shichisha Hachimangu Shrine, where they gather within the .
The gathered mikoshi are carried in procession and, at the chief priest’s signal with the gohei, raised high.
Afterward, shishimai kagura and staff performances are offered, bringing together the mikoshi events and traditional local performing arts in one festival.
Location and access
- Venue and address
七社八幡宮 岡山市北区建部町建部上／電車・バス：JR福渡駅から徒歩約15分／車：岡山ICから車で約30分／院庄ICから車で約30分／駐車場：八幡温泉郷駐車場を利用。
Temporary parking is available nearby
Address Takebe-kami, Takebe-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama City
Dates and season
- Season
The second Sunday of October each year
- 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 / Okayama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
It is listed as taking place on the second Sunday of October.
For restrooms and parking at the venue, use the Hachiman Onsenkyo parking lot; temporary parking is available nearby.
Nearby attractions
備前国総社宮
岡山県岡山市中区祇園にある神社
吉備の中山
岡山市にある山
Kibitsuhiko Shrine
岡山市北区にある神社
吉備津神社
岡山市北区にある神社
夢二郷土美術館
岡山県岡山市にある美術館
岡山城
岡山県の城
岡山市半田山植物園
岡山県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
岡山市立オリエント美術館
岡山市北区にある美術館
岡山県立博物館
岡山市北区の後楽園外苑にある博物館
岡山県立美術館
岡山市北区にある美術館
岡山神社
日本の岡山市にある神社
後楽園
岡山県岡山市北区にある庭園
Origins and History of Takebe Festival
The origins of the Takebe Festival itself are unclear, but records show that mikoshi from ten shrines gathered here by the middle of the early modern period.
It was once held on day 15 of lunar month 9 and is now passed down as an autumn festival held on the second Sunday of October each year.
In Heisei 6 April 5, the festival was designated an Okayama Prefecture Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The gathering of mikoshi, shishimai kagura, and staff performances are recognized as part of the region’s culture.
Official information
Okayama City’s cultural property information introduces the Takebe Festival as a prefecture-designated intangible folk cultural property.
It lists the property’s name, location, management by Shichisha Hachimangu Shrine, and details about the mikoshi, shishimai, and staff performances.
Takebe Festival at a Glance
The Takebe Festival is an autumn festival in the Takebe district, where mikoshi from eight shrines within the area gather at Shichisha Hachimangu Shrine. It is a prefecture-designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
After a spirited procession, the mikoshi are raised high, with teams competing to raise them the highest.
The offerings of shishimai kagura and staff performances, together with the mikoshi visiting ujiko homes before entering the venue, reflect the festival traditions of the Takebe area.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/12
