A festival exploring Toda’s traditions, passed down through its dashi and karakuri puppets
The Toda Festival’s dashi procession and the Tenjinsha dashi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The first Saturday and Sunday of October / Once every 4 years
- Area
- Aichi Prefecture・Nagoya City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
This festival of and karakuri puppets has been passed down in Toda, Nakagawa Ward, Nagoya City. The local preservation associations carry on the tradition through an event where dashi from each district gather and karakuri performances and street dances are presented.
About The Toda Festival’s dashi procession and the Tenjinsha dashi
The Toda Festival is a dashi procession passed down through the generations in Toda, Nakagawa Ward, Nagoya City.
It is said to have first been held as the Hachiman Festival in 1702, and the karakuri puppets are thought to have been made around 1796, in the mid-Edo period.
The dashi and karakuri puppets are designated intangible folk cultural properties of Nagoya City, and the preservation associations in each Toda district support the festival.
Today, the festival is held every 4 years as a dashi festival, carrying on the region’s traditions.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the dashi from each district gathering together, with karakuri puppet performances and street dances.
At the 300th-anniversary festival in 2002, 5 dashi from each district gathered at Toda Elementary School, where performances by each district’s karakuri puppets and street dances were introduced.
The karakuri puppets perform pieces such as Echigo-jishi, Ayawatari, and Moji-kaki. These traditional performing arts, closely tied to the dashi festival, have been passed down through the generations.
A festival exploring Toda’s traditions, passed down through its dashi and karakuri puppets
What to expect
At the dashi festival, dashi from each district are brought out and gathered together, and karakuri puppet performances and street dances are presented.
In 2009, after the dashi from Districts 1, 3, 4, and 5 gathered at the crossroads, those from Districts 1, 4, and 5 assembled at Hachiman Shrine and presented karakuri puppet performances.
Records also describe performances of hayashi and demonstrations of flute and practice related to the event, showing how the dashi procession, music, and karakuri performances are connected.
Location and access
- Address
Nagoya City
Host municipality 愛知県名古屋市
This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.
Dates and season
- Season
The first Saturday and Sunday of October
- Frequency
Once every 4 years
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Origins and History of The Toda Festival’s dashi procession and the Tenjinsha dashi
The Toda Festival is said to have begun in 1702, and the karakuri puppets are thought to have been made around 1796.
The Isewan Typhoon of 1959 severely damaged the dashi and karakuri puppets, bringing the dashi festival to a halt. It was revived in 1975, when preservation associations were established in each district.
Following the 300th-anniversary festival in 2002, holding the festival every 4 years in October became an established custom. In 2014, the dashi and karakuri puppets were reclassified from tangible to intangible folk cultural properties.
Official information
The Nagoya City Nakagawa Ward official website’s “History of the Toda Festival” introduces the festival’s history, compiled with the cooperation of the Toda Festival Preservation Association, along with the cultural-property designations of the dashi and karakuri puppets and records of past festivals.
A telephone number and email address for the Residents’ Affairs Division at the Tomita Branch Office of the Nakagawa Ward Office are listed as contact information.
The Toda Festival’s dashi procession and the Tenjinsha dashi at a Glance
The Toda Festival is a dashi procession passed down through the generations in Toda, Nakagawa Ward, Nagoya City, and is said to have begun in 1702.
The dashi from each district, their karakuri puppets, and the street dances are the main highlights, bringing together a karakuri tradition dating back to the mid-Edo period and local preservation efforts.
After the festival was interrupted by the Isewan Typhoon in 1959, it was revived. Since 2002, it has been recorded as a dashi festival held every 4 years.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
