Shimonita Suwa Shrine Autumn Grand Festival

About this event

The autumn festival of Joshu Shimonita, handed down unbroken since the Tenpo era, will be held on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, 2026. Shimonita, known for the World Heritage site Arafune Wind Cave, Shimonita Geopark, and as a retro gourmet town, will be wrapped in fiery enthusiasm for two days. Packed with highlights, it features solemnly paraded mikoshi portable shrines from early morning, seven gorgeous and dazzling floats, festival music resonating through the hometown mountains, graceful dances by dancers, and spirited competitions between floats heated up by the steering crew. Float processions are the main highlight on Saturday the 10th, with a float departure ceremony held at Suwa Shrine at 13:40, town processions starting at 14:00, and float face-off competitions unfolding during the pedestrian zone procession from 17:30. On Sunday the 11th, mikoshi portable shrine parades and float processions will be held, featuring the Suwa Shrine mikoshi parade from 8:00 to 10:40, town processions following the float departure ceremony from 13:50, float face-off competitions in the pedestrian zone from 17:00, festival music showcases by each neighborhood from 19:35, concluding with a celebratory hand-clapping ceremony (tejimeshiki) at 20:10. Please note that traffic restrictions will be in effect.

Venue

Shimonita Suwa Shrine

319 Shimonita, Shimonita-machi, Kanra-gun, Gunma 370-2601