A festival where a golden mikoshi and Iori songs make their way through springtime in Fukumitsu
Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival
The 2026 edition of Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/04/19Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on the third Sunday of April / Every year
- Location
- Fukumitsu Usa Hachimangu, central Fukumitsu
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Nanto City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This spring festival sees a grand carried by men in their unlucky years, lion dancers, and Iori process through central Fukumitsu. As an event that has continued for about 220 years, it offers a chance to enjoy a scene where religious ceremonies and local performing arts come together.
About Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival
The Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival is an annual spring grand festival held in the town center of the Fukumitsu area of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture.
5 lion dancers, 1 grand mikoshi, and 3 Iori dashi process through town, as religious ceremonies and local performing arts offered to the deities continue together.
As a festival passed down in the town of Fukumitsu, it embodies prayers for protection from misfortune and a good harvest.
Source: 宇佐八幡宮春季祭礼 - Wikipedia / 南砺市文化芸術アーカイブズ
Festival highlights
A highlight is the powerful procession in which men in their unlucky years carry a grand mikoshi weighing about 1 ton.
Led by lion dancers, the glittering mikoshi and intricately crafted two-tiered Iori dashi proceed through central Fukumitsu.
Musicians perform Iori songs as they move with the Iori dashi, and in the evening, the mikoshi from Usa Hachimangu and Arakicho Hachimangu meet face-to-face at Fukumitsu Bridge in an event known as “Deai.”
Source: 春を担ぐ背中が頼もしい！ 神輿の熱気で厄払いする南砺の春祭り「福光宇佐八幡宮 春季例大祭」 | つなぐ旅〜東日本〜 ひがしにほんトラベルガイド
A festival where a golden mikoshi and Iori songs make their way through springtime in Fukumitsu
What to expect
At the eve-of-festival celebration, religious ceremonies and the Otabi ceremony are held on the grounds of Usa Hachimangu, and are performed as offerings.
On the festival day, after the religious ceremonies, the procession begins at 8:30 a.m. with lion dancers leading the way, followed by the grand mikoshi through the city.
In the afternoon, Iori dashi are pulled through town. After the evening “Deai” and “Modoita” events, the mikoshi return to the shrine at night.
How to take part
General visitors can watch the procession, shishimai, and the of the iori-yatai at Fukumitsu Usa Hachimangu Shrine and in central Fukumitsu.
The mikoshi is said to be carried by men from the Fukumitsu area who are in their yakudoshi (years of misfortune). There is no information indicating that general visitors can participate as carriers.
Enjoy the festival by watching from along the procession route, without interfering with its progress.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Fukumitsu Usa Hachimangu and central Fukumitsu (Fukumitsu, Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture).
- By car
It is a 10-minute drive from the Fukumitsu IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway.
Source: 福光宇佐八幡宮 福光春季例大祭｜イベント｜【公式】高岡観光ナビ - 富山県高岡のおでかけ・旅行情報
Address Fukumitsu, Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)
The 2026 event was scheduled for April 19 (Sunday).
It is usually held on the third Sunday of April and consists of the eve-of-festival celebration and the procession on the festival day.
The mikoshi and Iori dashi processions continue from morning until night on the festival day, so it is best to choose when to visit based on the scenes you want to see.
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 Toyama Prefecture / Nanto City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The procession covers about 11 kilometers through central Fukumitsu, and the locations of the mikoshi and floats change depending on the time of day.
When watching powerful scenes, such as the mikoshi bearers shouting or rocking the mikoshi up and down, keep your distance from the roadside.
As the festival procession travels through the town, choose a place that does not obstruct traffic and follow local guidance and staff directions.
Nearby attractions
Central Fukumitsu, listed as a festival venue, has several sightseeing spots related to the festival, including the Matsumura Memorial Hall, the Shiko Munakata Memorial Museum “Aizen-en” and “Riu-gasai,” and Fukumitsu Castle Ruins Seika-en.
Fukumitsu Riverside Park along the Oyabe River is also introduced as a nearby spot.
Please check the opening status and hours of each facility individually before visiting.
南砺市立福光美術館
日本の富山県南砺市にある公立美術館
福野文化創造センターヘリオス
富山県南砺市の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
高瀬神社
富山県南砺市高瀬にある神社
Origins and History of Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival
The festival is said to have begun in the late Edo period and has a history of about 220 years.
The grand mikoshi was received from Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto in 1873. Since 1901, it has continued to be carried by men in their unlucky years.
The mikoshi was renewed in 2020, with modifications also made to reduce the burden on its carriers while carrying on the tradition.
Official information
The Nanto City Cultural Arts Archives introduces the Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival as a festival in Nanto City and describes the connections between the mikoshi, lion dancers, Iori dashi, and Inami woodcarving.
For 2026 information, including the date and venue, check the Fukumitsu Spring Grand Festival event notice.
Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival at a Glance
The Usa Hachimangu Spring Festival is a spring festival featuring a grand mikoshi, lion dancers, and Iori dashi processing through central Fukumitsu.
Major highlights include a mikoshi weighing about 1 ton carried by men in their unlucky years, floats playing Iori songs, and the “Deai,” when mikoshi meet face-to-face.
The 2026 event was scheduled for April 19, with venues at Fukumitsu Usa Hachimangu and central Fukumitsu.
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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