Nozawa Onsen Lantern Festival & Yuzawa Shrine Annual Festival

About this event

On autumn nights, lanterns lit with gentle light illuminate the hot spring town, creating a magical scene. Held every year on September 8 and 9, the "Nozawa Onsen Lantern Festival and Yuzawa Shrine Annual Festival" is a historic traditional event passed down since ancient times in Nozawa Onsen. In the night festival on September 8, the procession departs from in front of the Nozawa-gumi Sodai Office and heads toward Yuzawa Shrine together with various lit lanterns. Along the route, Sarutahiko dances and lion dances are performed, and within the shrine precincts, the Sanjurokkasen Dance is also held. Furthermore, large fireworks illuminate the night sky, continuing a program full of highlights. The Sarutahiko dance cuts the shimenawa rope of the torii gate, successfully clearing the path for the deities to pass, and the festival continues late into the night, wrapping the onsen town in tradition and passion. On the following day, September 9, the Yuzawa Shrine Annual Festival is conducted, allowing visitors to experience firsthand the festival's history and culture preserved by local people. Believed to have been held since the mid-to-late Edo period, this festival continues to be carefully preserved by local groups including Nozawa-gumi, Sanyako, and the Yuzawa Shrine Bugaku Preservation Society. Please visit Nozawa Onsen to encounter the unique scenery of this season.

Venue

Nozawa Onsen Village

Nozawaonsen-mura, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano