Fushimi Inari Shrine hosts Nukiho-sai on 25 October

Fushimi Inari Shrine (Fushimi Inari Taisha) in Kyoto will hold the Nukiho-sai harvest ritual on 25 October 2026. The shrine’s official programme places the ceremony at 11am and says the harvested rice will later be offered at the Shinjo-sai on 23 November 2026.

Nukiho-sai brings the October harvest to Fushimi Inari

The Nukiho-sai is one of the shrine’s listed October ceremonies. Its name refers to the harvesting of rice, and the official programme records the event for 11am on 25 October 2026 at the shrine in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City.

The programme states that the harvested rice is offered for the Shinjo-sai on 23 November 2026. It also says that the remaining rice straw is burned, linking the October ceremony with the later stage of the shrine’s annual agricultural cycle. The official festival programme lists both the date and the ritual’s purpose.

Rice fields connect the ceremony with the shrine’s history

The ceremony belongs to a site whose identity is closely tied to agriculture. The shrine’s official history says that Inari Okami was enshrined on Inariyama in 711, during the Nara Period. It describes the site as the head shrine of the Inari shrines affiliated across Japan.

Inariyama itself is a 233m-high holy mountain and forms part of the shrine precinct. The main shrine building contains five shrines, including the lower, middle and upper shrines, as well as Tanaka Shrine and Shino-Okami Shrine. The relationship between the Nukiho-sai and the sacred rice harvest therefore places the 25 October ceremony within the agricultural tradition associated with the site, rather than treating it as a standalone seasonal performance. A Kyoto history overview also identifies the Nukiho-sai as the harvest stage of the shrine’s yearly rice cycle.

Autumn ritual follows a sequence of shrine ceremonies

The October programme places the Nukiho-sai between other annual observances. The shrine lists Koin Taisai earlier in the month, followed by the Nukiho-sai on 25 October. In November, the same programme lists the Hitaki-sai and Mikagura on 8 November, before the Shinjo-sai on 23 November.

For visitors, this sequence gives the October date a specific place in the calendar. The Nukiho-sai concerns the harvest itself, while the later Shinjo-sai receives the rice as an offering. The official description does not present the event as a concert, market or exhibition, but as a traditional shrine ceremony connected with rice and seasonal worship.

Visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Nukiho-sai takes place at Fushimi Inari Shrine at 11am on 25 October 2026.
• The event listing identifies the shrine as the venue and does not state a closure or changed entrance for the ceremony. The published programme does not give a separate visitor admission rule.
• The shrine’s address is 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchi-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City 612-0882. The Kyoto event listing identifies JR Inari Station, Keihan Fushimi Inari Station and the Inari Taisha-mae bus stop as access points for the shrine precinct.
• The wider precinct includes Inariyama, a 233m-high holy mountain, with shrine gateways, smaller shrines and worshipping sites across the mountain area.
• Japanese is the official language and the national currency is the Japanese yen.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

Searching for Fushimi Inari Shrine on social platforms

These links open searches for Fushimi Inari Shrine on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Fushimi Inari Shrine

When does the Nukiho-sai take place at Fushimi Inari Shrine?

The Nukiho-sai takes place at 11am on 25 October 2026.

What is Fushimi Inari Shrine?

It is the head shrine of Japan’s Inari shrines, established on Inariyama in 711.

Where is Fushimi Inari Shrine and how do you get there?

The shrine is at 68 Fukakusa Yabunouchi-cho in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City. JR Inari Station, Keihan Fushimi Inari Station and the Inari Taisha-mae bus stop serve the shrine precinct.