A traditional lantern-pushing festival, with lights and mikoshi winding through Yahiko’s summer
Yahiko Shrine Lantern Pushing Festival and Bugaku
The 2026 edition of Yahiko Shrine Lantern Pushing Festival and has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/24 〜 2026/07/26Ended
- Season / frequency
- It is held every year around July 25, with events running from July 12 through the 26th. / Every year
- Location
- Yahiko Shrine and Yahiko Village
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Yahiko Village(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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Large lanterns join Yahiko Shrine’s procession in this summer rite through the town, accompanied by workmen’s songs. After the nighttime procession, Shinkagura and Tenkentou are performed in the temporary dance pavilion.
About Yahiko Shrine Lantern Pushing Festival and Bugaku
The Yahiko Shrine Lantern Pushing Festival and Bugaku is a summer festival centered on the Lantern Festival Rite and bugaku at Yahiko Shrine.
Large and small lanterns accompany the mikoshi procession through the town.
After the nighttime procession, Shinkagura and Tenkentou are performed in the temporary dance pavilion.
The festival is said to be a rite praying for bountiful harvests and the warding off of epidemics, and it has been designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.
Source: 弥彦燈籠まつり～燈籠押し～｜新潟のイベント｜【公式】新潟県のおすすめ観光・旅行情報！にいがた観光ナビ / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
A highlight is the grand nighttime procession, with large lanterns decorated with flowers and shades proceeding ahead of and behind the mikoshi.
The large lanterns are lifted to the rhythm of workmen’s songs. Along the way, people push them against one another and jostle them vigorously as they press together.
When the procession ends, children perform Shinkagura and Tenkentou in the temporary dance pavilion, surrounded by lanterns.
Its distinctive feature is the way lights, processions, music, and dance come together.
Source: 燈籠神事｜夏｜年間の主な祭典・行事｜越後一宮 彌彦神社
A traditional lantern-pushing festival, with lights and mikoshi winding through Yahiko’s summer
What to expect
The festival consists of several celebrations and rites. On July 25, its central day, the Onkeyaki Pull to purify the route, the large lanterns’ descent from their lodgings, the mikoshi procession, and the procession of large lanterns take place.
In the procession, large lanterns and lanterns accompany two mikoshi, while workmen’s songs and ceremonial music ring out.
After the mikoshi return, Shinkagura and Tenkentou are performed in the temporary dance pavilion, and the Return Festival takes place the following day, the 26th.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the mikoshi and large lantern procession through the village, as well as bugaku performances in the .
The dedication and procession of the large lanterns are carried out by groups of devotees, , worshippers, and others.
The children's dance and the carrying of the large lanterns are performed by designated participants, so this is not presented as an event that visitors can freely join.
Those wishing to participate in the Torchlight Procession must apply.
According to the 2026 information, those wishing to participate in the Yahikoyama Torchlight Procession should apply to the Yahiko Tourism Association.
The phone number is 0256-94-3154.
No separate application process for general visitors to watch the large lantern procession or bugaku has been announced.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The festival takes place around Yahiko Shrine and throughout Yahiko Village.
The address is Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture.
- Train and bus
It is a 5-minute walk from Yahiko Station on the JR Yahiko Line.
- By car
It is about 25 minutes by car from the Sanjo-Tsubame IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.
- Parking
Parking is available for 2,000 regular cars and 20 large vehicles.
Temporary traffic restrictions will be in effect in 2026 on July 23, the 24th, and the 25th.
Address Yahiko Village, Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 Event Information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the festival was held from July 24 through the 26th.
The schedule includes a festival eve celebration on the 24th; children’s lantern pushing, a mikoshi procession, and a procession of large lanterns on the 25th; and the Return Festival on the 26th.
The central Lantern Festival Rite is held every year on July 25, and according to the shrine’s information, related rites continue from July 12 through the 26th.
Source: 彌彦神社舞楽、燈籠神事、宝物｜名所・史跡｜弥彦村
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 / Yahiko Village (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Temporary traffic restrictions are planned for 2026 on July 23, the 24th, and the 25th, so allow extra time to get around the village if traveling by car.
The main events take place at night, and the procession makes its way through the village over about two hours.
Along the routes taken by the large lanterns and mikoshi, and within the shrine grounds, follow staff directions so you do not obstruct the procession.
Nearby attractions
Nearby places listed around the festival venue include Yahiko Park, Echigo Ichinomiya Yahiko Shrine, Mount Yahiko and the Yahiko Shrine trailhead, and the Yahiko Onsen area.
The Treasure Hall and shrine grove are also introduced as nearby spots within the grounds of Yahiko Shrine.
You can combine the festival procession and rites with visits to places where you can experience Yahiko Village’s history and nature.
Yahiko Shrine
新潟県弥彦村にある神社
Origins and History of Yahiko Shrine Lantern Pushing Festival and Bugaku
The Lantern Festival Rite is introduced as a shrine rite that has been passed down at Yahiko Shrine for a thousand years.
Shinkagura is said to have been danced by Iyahiko no Okami when Emperor Jimmu ascended the throne, and, along with Tenkentou, is considered a secret dance passed down exclusively at this shrine.
The lantern pushing represents one form of furyu, while the bugaku preserves performing arts that were localized and folklorized from court arts, as well as art unique to this area.
It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1978.
Official information
The festival’s official information is available on the “Lantern Festival Rite” page of Echigo Ichinomiya Yahiko Shrine.
The Niigata Prefecture Tourism Association’s “Yahiko Lantern Festival – Lantern Pushing” page also lists the dates, transportation information, and related events.
An explanation of its cultural heritage status is available in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties, etc.
Yahiko Shrine Lantern Pushing Festival and Bugaku at a Glance
The Yahiko Shrine Lantern Pushing Festival and Bugaku is an important traditional event in Yahiko Village, featuring a mikoshi, large lanterns decorated with flowers, workmen’s songs, a nighttime procession through the town, and bugaku performed by children.
Highlights include the spirited scene of people pushing against the large lanterns and the Shinkagura and Tenkentou dances performed in the temporary dance pavilion.
In 2026, the festival was held from July 24 through the 26th, and the main procession took place on the night of the 25th.
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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