53rd Bando City Masakado Festival

About this event

The "53rd Bando City Masakado Festival," a historical festival set in Shimosa Iwai (present-day Bando City), the former base of Taira no Masakado, will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2026. Starting with a prayer for victory at Kokuo Shrine, the highlight is the "Warrior Procession," where warriors clad in heavy armor reminiscent of Heian period picture scrolls and children in charming costumes parade through the pedestrian zone alongside floats accompanied by "Kanda Hayashi" festival music (a Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property). Participants can wear special costumes to join the procession and create wonderful memories. The children's procession (Chigo Procession) takes place from 11:00 to 16:00, and the warrior procession (Musha Procession) from 9:00 to 16:00. Elementary school students in grades 1 through 4 who live or attend school in the city can participate in the children's procession, with a capacity of 30 participants (first-come, first-served). People of junior high school age and older from both inside and outside the city can participate in the warrior procession, with a capacity of 20 participants (first-come, first-served). Applications are accepted from 9:00 on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, to 17:00 on Friday, August 28, via a dedicated form, at the Commerce and Tourism Division counter, or by FAX.

Venue

Bando City

Bando, Ibaraki