Toshogu Shrine hosts autumn festival on 16 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 01:33 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan, will host its Autumn Grand Festival from 16 to 17 October 2026. The programme combines Yabusame horseback archery on the shrine approach with the Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu procession on the following day.
Toshogu Shrine sets its autumn festival for 16 and 17 October
The festival begins on Friday 16 October with a mounted archery ceremony on Omotesando, the main approach to the shrine. The regional tourism authority lists the riders entrance procession at 1pm and Yabusame at about 1.30pm, continuing until about 2.30pm. The schedule is marked as provisional. The official festival programme identifies the shrine as the venue and gives the 2026 dates.
On Saturday 17 October, the Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu procession is due to leave the shrine precinct at 11am. It will travel along Omotesando to the Otabisho, where a ceremony is scheduled from noon. The return procession is listed for about 1pm, following the same route back towards the shrine. The programme describes around 1,200 participants in armour and other historical dress, followed by a portable shrine.
The 2026 procession follows Toshogu Shrine history
The festival links the route outside the buildings with the site history inside them. The procession recalls the transfer of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s remains to Nikko, while its route connects the shrine entrance with the Otabisho, a building associated with the annual Togyosai ritual. This gives the 17 October programme a direct relationship with the shrine’s mausoleum function rather than making it a separate city event.
The city of Nikko states that the shrine was built in 1617 as the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Most of the main buildings were rebuilt in 1636 under the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. The complex includes the Yomeimon gate, the Honden, the Haiden and the Ishino-ma, with eight buildings designated National Treasures and 34 listed as Important Cultural Properties. Nikko’s heritage record also identifies the Otabisho as a reconstruction completed in 1685.
The wider Shrines and Temples of Nikko property was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. It contains 103 buildings and structures across Toshogu, Futarasan Shrine and Rinnoji Temple, including surrounding remains and relics. The autumn procession therefore moves through a religious and historic landscape that is part of a larger listed property. The Nikko Official Guide places Toshogu within the central part of the city.
Visiting Toshogu Shrine: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Autumn Grand Festival runs from 16 to 17 October 2026. Yabusame is scheduled for 16 October on Omotesando, while the procession is scheduled for 17 October between the shrine, Omotesando and the Otabisho.
- The event uses the approach and surrounding route, not only the shrine buildings. Visitors should expect movement along Omotesando and a return procession towards Toshogu Shrine.
- Nikko is reached through Nikko Station or Tobu-Nikko Station. The World Heritage Tour bus serves the shrine area, with the Shinkyo Bridge stop used for the central heritage district.
- The site includes steep approaches, stone steps and narrow routes towards the inner shrine and surrounding buildings. The festival route is an outdoor walking setting rather than a seated hall.
- Japanese is the official language and the national currency is the yen.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Toshogu Shrine
When does the Autumn Grand Festival take place at Toshogu Shrine?
The festival is scheduled for 16 and 17 October 2026. Yabusame is planned for 16 October and the Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu procession for 17 October.
Where is Toshogu Shrine and how do you get there?
The shrine is in central Nikko, Japan. The area can be reached from Nikko Station or Tobu-Nikko Station by the World Heritage Tour bus.
What is Toshogu Shrine?
It is a Shinto mausoleum shrine built in 1617 for Tokugawa Ieyasu and largely rebuilt in 1636. It forms part of the Shrines and Temples of Nikko World Heritage property, registered in 1999.
