Nada Fighting Festival 2026 (Matsubara Hachiman Shrine Autumn Grand Festival)

About this event

This is the Autumn Grand Festival held every year on October 14 and 15 at Matsubara Hachiman Shrine in Shirahama-cho, Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. This festival is known for the "Mikoshi-awase," where three portable shrines are violently slammed against one another, and the "Yatai-neri," where gorgeous floats from the former seven villages compete in jostling against each other; its sheer bravery and vigor earned it the name "Nada Fighting Festival" (Nada no Kenka Matsuri). It is believed that the more the portable shrines are battered and damaged, the more pleased the deities are, ranking it among the rowdiest and most intense festivals in Japan. On Yoimiya (October 14), floats from each village enter the shrine, and on Honmiya (October 15), the portable shrine clashes and float jostling take place. In particular, the energy when the float of the designated duty village (Nenban) appears is a breathtaking spectacle. Extremely large crowds are expected on festival days, so using public transportation is highly recommended.

Venue

Matsubara Hachiman Shrine

Ko 396 Shirahamacho, Himeji, Hyogo 672-8023