From Kokuma Shrine into the city, a traditional procession brings autumn to life in Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/11/23Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- Nov
- Location
- Kokuma Shrine and the shopping district
- Area
- Yamaguchi Prefecture・Yamaguchi City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 min · flight time only)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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A traditional late-autumn event in which the Sobitate procession and Goshinko procession set out from Kokuma Shrine and make their way through the streets of Yamaguchi City.
About Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival
Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival is a Tenjin festival held in Yamaguchi City and is considered one of Yamaguchi’s three major festivals.
Starting from Kokuma Shrine, priests, festival attendants, the Sobitate procession, and others proceed through the city, with a ritual held at the .
Centered on the grounds of Kokuma Shrine, the festival is closely tied to the local streetscape, including the central shopping district and Ekidori.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the Sobitate procession, which recreates a sankin-kotai procession, and the Goshinko procession from Kokuma Shrine to the otabisho.
The processions meet at Fudanotsuji, followed by the Ōhaishi and Kohaishi, Hanamiko, Hanamiko carriage, Hōe-kago, Nagamochi procession, and others.
The Goshinko procession is said to comprise around 300 people, and can be seen passing through the central shopping district and Ekidori.
Source: 山口天神祭 | OMATSURI NAVI｜英語対応、日本のお祭り検索サイト「お祭りナビ」
From Kokuma Shrine into the city, a traditional procession brings autumn to life in Yamaguchi
What to expect
The festival begins with the Shin’yaku Hatsusan Ceremony on November 17, followed by the Wakamiya Festival on the 18th and the Hanamiko Festival on the 22nd, with the Goshinkosai on the 23rd as its main event.
On the 23rd, processions set out from Kokuma Shrine and Yasaka Shrine, then meet at Fudanotsuji and proceed through the city.
A series of rituals continues through the Shin’yaku Hōsai Ceremony on the 24th and the annual festival on the 25th.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kokuma Shrine and the shopping district (1-10-3 Kokuma, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture).
The procession passes through the central shopping district and Ekidori, among other areas, before heading to the otabisho on Tenjin-dori.
- Train and bus
Get off at JR Yamaguchi Station.
Address 1-10-3 Kokuma, Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Dates and season
In 2026, the festival will be held on November 23.
Rituals associated with Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival run from the Shin’yaku Hatsusan Ceremony on November 17 through the annual festival on the 25th.
The main day for the Goshinkosai and procession is November 23.
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 Yamaguchi Prefecture / Yamaguchi City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
中原中也記念館
山口県山口市にある博物館
亀山公園
山口県山口市にある都市公園
山口大神宮
山口市にある神社
山口情報芸術センター
山口県山口市にある複合施設
山口県埋蔵文化財センター
山口県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
山口県政資料館
山口県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：Bakkai at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
山口県立山口博物館
山口県山口市にある総合博物館
山口県立美術館
山口県山口市にある美術館
常栄寺雪舟庭
山口県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
重源の郷
山口県山口市にある体験交流公園
Origins and History of Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival
Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival is an intangible folk cultural asset of Yamaguchi City associated with the Edo period.
It is described as a festival with a tradition of nearly 400 years, and the Sobitate procession recreating a sankin-kotai procession is one of its distinctive features.
As a historic and cultural resource, the procession from Kokuma Shrine and the parade through the city have been passed down through generations.
Official information
The Yamaguchi City website’s “Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival – Historic and Cultural Resources of Yamaguchi City” provides details about festival events and the location of Kokuma Shrine.
Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival at a Glance
Yamaguchi Tenjin Festival is a traditional event in Yamaguchi featuring rituals and a Goshinko procession at Kokuma Shrine and throughout the city.
A highlight is the procession of around 300 people, including the Sobitate procession, Hanamiko, and the Nagamochi procession.
The 2026 Goshinkosai will be held on November 23.
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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