Toba Fire Festival

Festival highlights

The highlight is the moment participants leap into the two blazing suzumi torches to retrieve the sacred tree and the twelve-strand rope from inside.

Participants wear costumes called “neko,” made from old banners, and vigorously shake the suzumi amid the flames.

The festival unfolds as Fukuchi and Inui compete to see which district can make its offering before the deities first, while spectators watch the fire’s intensity and the participants’ movements change.

The way the suzumi burns is also used to predict the year’s weather and harvest.

Source: 鳥羽の火祭り 公式ホームページ

A fire festival dating back over a thousand years, where participants brave the flames to predict the harvest

What to expect

At around 2 p.m. on the day of the festival, participants gather at Shinmeisha, form a procession, and head to the beach to perform misogi in the sea.

They then receive purification and prayers at Shinmeisha, after which the fire-lighting official uses an ember they have made to set fire to the suzumi.

Participants retrieve the sacred tree and the twelve-strand rope from the blazing suzumi, and the two districts compete to be first to offer them before the deities.

In 2026, misogi is scheduled for around 3 p.m., the Shinto ceremony for around 7:30 p.m., and the lighting of the fires for around 8 p.m.

How to take part

The Shinotoko and attendants at the heart of the fire festival are generally residents of the Toba district or people who work there.

The Shinotoko are chosen from the Fukuchi and Inui districts. From before the festival, they stay at Shinmei Shrine to perform misogi and prepare.

No information is provided on whether general visitors may participate as attendants or on the requirements for participation by people from outside the district.

If you visit as a spectator, please follow the viewing restrictions and entry procedures in place on the day.

Location and access

Venue and address

Toba Shinmei Shrine (89 Nishisako, Toba-cho, Nishio City).

Train and bus

Get off at Mikawa-Toba Station on the Meitetsu Gamagori Line. It is about a 10-minute walk.

The official website gives the walking time as 12 minutes.

By car

Parking is limited, and visitors are encouraged to use public transportation.

The area south of Shinmei Shrine is reserved for people involved in the event, so general visitors may not park there.

Parking

Furusato Park Ground, northeast of Shinmei Shrine, will open as a parking area from February 7, 2026 at 6 p.m.

As crowds are expected, please use public transportation whenever possible.

Address 89 Nishihazama, Toba-cho, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

The 2026 Toba Fire Festival was announced as scheduled for February 8 (Sunday).

In case of rain, the event will be postponed to February 9 (Monday).

Misogi is scheduled for around 3 p.m., the Shinto ceremony before the deities for around 7:30 p.m., and the lighting of the suzumi for around 8 p.m.

Entry to the grounds of Shinmeisha is through the south approach from 7 a.m.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

It is prohibited to reserve spots for viewing or photography. Mats and other items placed before 7 a.m. will be removed.

Entry to the shrine grounds is from 7 a.m. on the day via the south sando. Viewing restrictions apply in some areas during misogi.

There are no reserved spectator seats.

Parking is limited, and general vehicles cannot use the area south of the shrine, so visitors are advised to come by public transportation.

Nearby attractions

On the day of the festival, the “Toba Market” is held at the parking lot of Mikawa-Toba Station, where local shops sell regional specialties.

Wakame miso soup is also handed out free of charge, and visitors can stop by between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Isshiki Manabi no Yakata has a “Toba Fire Festival Zone,” featuring cat costumes, scale models, dioramas, and a video introducing the festival’s sequence of events.

There is also a restroom decorated with Toba Fire Festival-themed artwork in front of Mikawa-Toba Station.

Temples and shrinesNishio City

伊文神社

日本の愛知県西尾市にある神社

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Museums and art museumsNishio City

西尾市岩瀬文庫

Museums

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Temples and shrinesNishio City

Toba Shinmeisha

愛知県西尾市鳥羽町にある神社

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Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Toba Fire Festival

The Toba Fire Festival is a New Year’s event said to date back approximately 1,200 years.

According to Nishio City, the festival is said to have continued since the Daidō era (806–809), when Toba Shinmeisha was founded.

An event once held on day 7 of lunar month 1 is now held on the second Sunday of February each year.

In 2004, it was designated a National Intangible Folk Cultural Property as a folk custom and annual event.

Source: 概要 | 鳥羽の火祭り

Official information

Official information is available on the “Toba Fire Festival Official Website.”

The 2026 festival date was announced as February 8 (Sunday), and information is also provided on the venue, transportation, parking, and viewing restrictions on the day.

Nishio City’s official website provides an overview of the festival and explains its status as a nationally designated intangible folk cultural property.

Visit the official website

Toba Fire Festival at a Glance

The Toba Fire Festival is a traditional event held at Toba Shinmeisha, where two districts compete to see who can retrieve the sacred tree and the twelve-strand rope from the flames faster.

Its distinctive features include participants wearing costumes made from old banners leaping into the suzumi, and the custom of predicting the year’s harvest from how the fire burns.

The 2026 festival is scheduled for February 8 and will be postponed to the following day in case of rain.

Visitors should not reserve spots, and are asked to use public transportation and respect viewing restrictions.