Edo-style dashi and hayashi performances bring the storehouse-lined streets to life
Tochigi Autumn Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/11/14 〜 2026/11/15Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- Nov / Once every 2 years
- Location
- Kurano Machi Odori and its surroundings, as well as the neighborhoods that own the floats
- Area
- Tochigi Prefecture・Tochigi City(From Tokyo: approx. 50 min–1 h · 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Tochigi Autumn Festival sees lavish Edo-style ningyo dashi parade through Tochigi City’s storehouse-lined streets to the accompaniment of music. Enjoy the craftsmanship of the historic dashi and “butsuke,” when the dashi draw close to one another.
About Tochigi Autumn Festival
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: katorisi File:Tochigi autumn festival,festival car of Yorozucho1-2-3chome,tochigi city,japan.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Katorisi File:Head of Cyohi Yokutoku, a float doll in Yorozucyo 3-chome, Tochigi City, Japan.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Katorisi File:Cyohi Yokutoku, a float doll in Yorozucyo 3-chome, Tochigi City, Japan.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.The Tochigi Autumn Festival features Edo-style ningyo dashi parading through the city against the backdrop of Tochigi City’s storehouse-lined streets.
The festival has been passed down in the community, rooted in the spirit of a merchant town that prospered through shipping connections with Edo and along the Nikko Reiheishi Kaido.
The dashi feature historic figures, lavish carvings, and embroidery in gold and silver thread.
Source: ～よみがえる江戸の粋～ とちぎ秋まつり（令和８年開催のお知らせ） - 栃木市ホームページ / とちぎ秋まつり | とちぎ旅ネット〜栃木の観光旅行情報サイト
Festival highlights
A highlight is seeing the ningyo dashi, carefully preserved by each neighborhood, make their way through the storehouse-lined streets.
The dashi carry figures such as Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Yamato Takeru, and Shizuka Gozen, as well as lavish carvings and embroidery that visitors can admire up close.
“Butsuke,” when the dashi draw close to one another and the hayashi music rings out, is another signature scene of the festival.
Edo-style dashi and hayashi performances bring the storehouse-lined streets to life
What to expect
During the festival, dashi owned by neighborhoods throughout Tochigi City parade through the storehouse-lined streets and the city center.
Hayashi music is performed as the dashi parade. During “butsuke,” when the dashi draw close to one another, each neighborhood shows off the results of its regular practice.
In 2026, the “Children’s Dashi Festival,” where 3rd- and 4th-grade elementary school students from the city will pull dashi, is also planned.
Source: とちぎ秋まつり - Wikipedia
How to take part
The Tochigi Autumn Festival is an event where dashi parade through the various districts of Tochigi City. Visitors can enjoy the dashi, hayashi music, and traditional performing arts.
For 2026, recruitment of participants from among foreign residents has also been announced.
The event information available does not specify the requirements or application process for members of the general public to join the dashi procession.
In 2026, events include a dashi float procession, the Children's Dashi Festival, festival music and Japanese drums, and .
A call for participants aimed at foreign residents has also been announced, but details about how to apply and the participation requirements should be checked on the application page provided.
General visitors can watch the dashi floats and various events in and around the venue.
Source: 令和８年とちぎ秋まつり 出店協力金のお願い - 栃木市ホームページ / 栃木市国際交流協会
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around Kurano-machi Odori.
In 2026, the venue will be Kurano-machi Odori and its surrounding area, as well as the districts that own dashi.
- Train and bus
It is about a 15-minute walk from JR and Tobu Tochigi Station.
- By car
It is about a 15-minute drive from the Tochigi Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway.
Source: とちぎ秋まつり | 栃木市観光資源データベース「蔵ナビ！」
Address Around Kurano Machi Odori
Dates and season
The 2026 Tochigi Autumn Festival will be held from November 14 (Saturday) through the 15th (Sunday).
The event takes place on Kurano Machi Odori and in the surrounding area, as well as in the neighborhoods that own the dashi floats.
Along with a dashi float procession, events are planned including the Children's Dashi Festival, festival music and Japanese drums, and kagura.
Source: 【とちぎ秋まつり（令和８年開催）】のお知らせ – 栃木市観光協会
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 Tochigi Prefecture / Tochigi City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The venue extends beyond Kurano Machi Odori and its surroundings to the neighborhoods that own the dashi floats.
Several events are held, including the dashi float procession, festival music and Japanese drums, and kagura, so it is a good idea to check in advance what you want to see and where it will take place.
The event may be canceled depending on severe weather or the infectious disease situation on the day, so please check its status before setting out.
Nearby attractions
Near the venue, the Kurano-machi streetscape features the banks of the Uzuma River and traditional kura-style buildings.
Along Kurano-machi Odori, which runs through the city center, black-lacquered misegura merchant houses and rows of white-walled storehouses offer a glimpse of the area’s former prosperity.
Walk through the streets that overlap with the festival route and enjoy the dashi alongside the historic scenery.
太平山神社
栃木県栃木市にある神社
Origins and History of Tochigi Autumn Festival
The festival originated with the Jinmu Festival, held on the grounds of the Tochigi Prefectural Office in 1874.
Six dashi took part in a celebration in 1893, and the dashi from Muromachi joined in 1906, establishing the festival in roughly its present form.
Since 1937, it has been held as a festival celebrating the city’s development. Today, it takes place every 2 years.
Official information
Details of the 2026 festival schedule and travel information are available on the official Tochigi City website.
Tourism information sites provide details about the festival dates, venue, highlights, access, and traffic restrictions.
Before heading to the festival, it’s a good idea to check the latest information on dashi routes and nearby roads as well.
Tochigi Autumn Festival at a Glance
The Tochigi Autumn Festival is held every other year against the backdrop of Tochigi City’s storehouse-lined streets, with historic Edo-style ningyo dashi parading through the city.
Highlights include the lavish carvings and embroidery, the figures themselves, and “butsuke,” when the dashi draw close to one another, along with the musical competition between hayashi ensembles.
The 2026 festival is scheduled for November 14 and 15.
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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