The Gion Festival of Hirata, Iga, featuring the swaying mikoshi and dashi
Ueki Jinja Gion Festival
The 2026 edition of Ueki Gion Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/25 〜 2026/07/26Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on the final Saturday and Sunday of July / Every year
- Location
- Around Ueki Jinja
- Area
- Mie Prefecture・Iga City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 30 min–3 h · bullet train + connecting 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
The Ueki Jinja Gion Festival, handed down in Hirata, Iga City, is a local festival consisting of an eve-of-festival ceremony and the main festival. , the 's “kuneri” (swaying), and the Gion Hana procession pass through an area that once flourished as a post town.
About Ueki Jinja Gion Festival
The Ueki Jinja Gion Festival is a Gion festival handed down in Hirata, Iga City, a post town that once prospered along the Iga Road.
The festival consists of an eve-of-festival ceremony and the main festival, with mikoshi, danjiri, and Gion Hana at its heart.
Its features include a spirited mikoshi, 3 lavish —unusual in a rural area—and the Gion Hana procession led by boys carrying flowers on their backs.
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the “kuneri,” in which the mikoshi is tilted 90 degrees to the right and left and turned alternately.
Along with the spirited procession of a mikoshi weighing about 240 kilograms, accompanied by vigorous shouts, 3 danjiri lit with lanterns make their way through the streets to the sound of flute, kane, and hayashi.
The Gion Hana procession led by boys carrying flowers on their backs, and the final flower-grabbing, are also distinctive features.
The Gion Festival of Hirata, Iga, featuring the swaying mikoshi and dashi
What to expect
The festival has two parts: the eve-of-festival ceremony and the main festival.
On the eve of the festival, 3 danjiri lit with lanterns make their way through Hirata. The main festival begins with 2 mikoshi being carried in a lively procession toward the .
In the afternoon, the procession proceeds from Hirata to Ueki Jinja in this order: takegohei, Gion Hana, Hana Taiko, mikoshi, , koshi taiko, sacred treasures, flower offerings, and dashi.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Around Ueki Jinja, 699 Hirata, Iga
- Train and bus
About 20 minutes by car from Shindo Station on the JR line
- By car
About 15 minutes from Nakase IC on the Meihan National Highway
- Parking
Available
トイレ：あり
Address 699 Hirata, Iga
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
According to the 2026 information, the event was scheduled for July 25 (Saturday) and the 26th (Sunday).
The eve-of-festival ceremony is held on July 25, and the main festival on July 26. The information states that the event will go ahead in light rain.
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 Mie Prefecture / Iga City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
According to the 2026 information, the event will go ahead in light rain.
Information states that parking and restrooms are available at the venue.
Nearby attractions
Nearby places of interest include Tsubaya Confectionery, the Umeya ryokan and restaurant, Tsujido Kofun, and Narizuka Kofun.
If you plan to visit nearby places as well as the festival, check each facility's operating status and visitor conditions individually.
上野城
三重県伊賀市に存在した城
写真：The original uploader was T@ka at Japanese Wikipedia . / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
伊賀流忍者博物館
三重県伊賀市にある忍者の博物館
敢國神社
三重県伊賀市一之宮にある神社
芭蕉翁記念館
三重県伊賀市の上野公園にある記念館
Origins and History of Ueki Jinja Gion Festival
The Ueki Jinja Gion Festival is an annual event handed down at Ueki Jinja in Hirata, Iga City. It was designated a Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1979.
The East, Central, and West districts of Hirata each have 1 dashi and support the festival.
It is considered typical of Gion-style festivals in the Iga region, featuring processions of mikoshi, Gion Hana, and dashi, as well as the grabbing of flowers.
Official information
公式情報：植木神社公式案内 www.iga-guide.com
問い合わせ先：植木神社 0595-47-0431
Ueki Jinja Gion Festival at a Glance
The Ueki Jinja Gion Festival is a Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property handed down in Hirata, Iga City.
On the eve of the festival, lantern-lit danjiri make their way through the streets. At the main festival, a mikoshi weighing about 240 kilograms is tilted 90 degrees in the “kuneri,” and processions of Gion Hana, mikoshi, and dashi take place.
A vibrant Gion Festival featuring mikoshi and dashi, preserving the festival culture of a post town to this day.
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
