2026 Futarasan Shrine Kikusui Festival

About this event

The 'Kikusui Festival', which developed as an accompanying festival to the Akiyama Festival (the regular annual festival of Futarasan Shrine), is held every year on the last Saturday and Sunday of October. Shinto rituals including the Horen Togyo (divine palanquin procession), where the enshrined deity Toyokiirihiko-no-Mikoto rides a mikoshi and parades through the town of Utsunomiya, and valiant Yabusame (horseback archery) rituals are conducted. Every few years, floats and festival stalls also accompany the procession. As an ancient, elegant traditional event, it captivates many people as a grand ritual that adds color to autumn in Utsunomiya. The Yabusame ritual is dedicated twice in the morning and evening inside the Grand Torii gate, and the Horen Togyo procession elegantly parades in the ancient style through the western upper town (Kamicho) and eastern lower town (Shimomachi).

Venue

Utsunomiya Futarasan Shrine

1-1-1 Babadori, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 320-0026