The shape of it
About
The autumn grand festival at the lavish Nikko Toshogu shrine re-enacts the procession that brought the remains of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to Nikko. Over two days in mid-October, more than a thousand participants in 17th-century armour parade with portable shrines, and horseback archers perform yabusame.
Highlights
- Procession of 1,000 warriors in authentic 17th-century samurai armour
- Yabusame horseback archery on the first day
- Re-enactment of the transfer of Tokugawa Ieyasu's remains to Nikko
- Set among the UNESCO-listed, gilded shrines and cedar forest of Nikko
Plan it well
- Nikko is about 2 hours from Tokyo; take the Tobu Limited Express from Asakusa or JR from Shinjuku/Tokyo to Nikko.
- The procession steps off late morning on the 17th - arrive early to claim a roadside spot along the route.
- Pair the festival with the shrines of Nikko and, if time allows, the autumn colours toward Lake Chuzenji.
- The Spring Grand Festival (May 17-18) features the same 1,000-warrior procession on a larger scale.
Where it happens
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