An autumn festival that brings the mining town of Aikawa to life with mikoshi and oni-daiko
Uto Shrine Festival
The 2026 edition of Uto Shrine Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/19Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on October 19 / Every year
- Location
- The Aikawa town center, centered around Utou Shrine
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Sado City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 h 10 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
- Official website / social media
- Official website
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A festival at Uto Shrine in which and oni-daiko travel through Aikawa, while lanterns and conch shells accompany the nighttime return procession.
About Uto Shrine Festival
The Uto Shrine Festival is a shrine festival held in the urban area of the Aikawa district of Sado City.
Centered on the mikoshi procession and oni-daiko, Sarutahiko, a halberd, a lion, and drums played by children move through the neighborhoods.
Each procession group has traditionally been served by a designated neighborhood, with the role passed down through generations.
Uto Shrine has long been connected to the Aikawa community, and the festival has been passed down alongside the culture of this mining town.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the sequence of events in which the mikoshi leaves the shrine, travels through the town of Aikawa, and stops for prayers in front of the Great Gate of the Sado Magistrate’s Office.
During the return procession after midnight, tall lanterns and thousands of lanterns illuminate the mikoshi, while conch shells and the calls of “Chosaya” ring out.
In oni-daiko, a performer wearing an elder’s mask dances while scattering beans, adults and children play drums, and performers wielding a long sword and a staff demonstrate their movements.
Another distinctive feature is the sight of Sarutahiko, the lion, and children’s drummers moving through the town ahead of and behind the mikoshi.
An autumn festival that brings the mining town of Aikawa to life with mikoshi and oni-daiko
What to expect
After the rites at the shrine, the mikoshi sets out and makes its procession through all of Aikawa.
Prayers are offered in front of the Great Gate of the Sado Magistrate’s Office along the route, while oni-daiko and lion performances also visit homes in the neighborhoods.
At night, the mikoshi returns from the Aikawa Shibamachi to the shrine, as lanterns, conch shells, and calls fill the town.
Oni-daiko performances feature the bean-scattering elder’s dance, drumming, and movements by performers wielding a long sword and a staff.
How to take part
The mikoshi procession and oni-daiko performances are carried out by the neighborhoods designated for these duties since long ago.
When watching, please follow the guidance so as not to disrupt the festival or the local volunteers.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Aikawa town center, centered around Utou Shrine / Location: Shimotokamura, Aikawa, Sado City
- By car
About 50 minutes by car from Ryotsu Port
Source: さど観光ナビ・相川祭り
Address Shimotomura, Aikawa, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture
Dates and season
2026年の開催案内（掲載日程は終了しています）
2026年は、10月18日に夜宮、10月19日に本祭が行われる予定として案内されていました。
The evening festival is scheduled to depart Kitano Shrine (Tenmangu) at 5 p.m., with -cutting planned at Shinmei Shrine from around 6:30 p.m.
The main festival procession is scheduled to depart Kitazawa Floating Ore Dressing Plant at 6 a.m., hold a ritual and shimenawa-cutting at Uto Shrine at around 2 p.m., reach Ichome Shopping Street at around 8:30 p.m., and make an offering at around 10 p.m.
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 Niigata Prefecture / Sado City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
In 2026, the schedule is split between the evening festival and the main festival, with events taking place not only at Uto Shrine but also around Aikawa town.
The evening festival runs in the late afternoon and evening, while the main festival goes from early morning until night, so check the times and locations of the events you want to see in advance.
The festival includes a mikoshi procession, onidaiko, chochin, and conch-shell horns, so watch quietly from a spot that does not obstruct the procession or offerings.
Nearby attractions
During the festival, the mikoshi travels through all of Aikawa and stops for prayers in front of the Great Gate of the Sado Magistrate’s Office, offering a sense of the history connecting the mining town of Aikawa with the former magistrate’s office.
Aikawa is an area where festivals and oni-daiko shaped by the culture of the gold and silver mines have been passed down.
When walking through Aikawa’s streets connected to the mikoshi route and the area in front of the magistrate’s office gate, alongside your festival visit, please take care not to disrupt local life.
Source: 鉱山が育んだ文化 - 新潟県ホームページ
佐渡博物館
新潟県佐渡市にある博物館
佐渡島の金山
新潟県佐渡市にある世界遺産
Origins and History of Uto Shrine Festival
Uto Shrine is said to have been founded in Ninpei 1 (1151), and was once regarded as the chief guardian shrine of the Seven Ports, including Shimoto.
It is said that parishioners from the Seven Ports also took part in the festival until around Kan’ei 20 (1643).
Oni-daiko is said to have begun when miners’ carpenters beat drums in a manner resembling the motions they used to bore into ore. It developed in connection with the history and working culture of the mining town of Aikawa.
Paintings from the Edo period also show how people from the mining town took part in the festival.
Official information
The Uto Shrine Festival is an intangible folk cultural property designated by Sado City.
The official cultural property guide provides information about the location, administrator, festival activities, and features of the mikoshi procession and oni-daiko.
Sado Tourism Navi lists the 2026 festival date as October 19.
Uto Shrine Festival at a Glance
The Uto Shrine Festival is a local festival in which a mikoshi travels through central Aikawa, while oni-daiko, a lion, and children’s drumming enliven the procession.
The major highlights are oni-daiko, rooted in the history of the mining town, and the nighttime return procession lit by lanterns.
In 2026, it will be held on October 19, and visitors can watch from along the route while respecting the religious significance of the event.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
