Nikko Toshogu Shrine hosts autumn festival on 16 October

Nikko Toshogu Shrine hosts its Autumn Festival in Nikko, Japan, from 16 to 17 October 2026. The programme combines horseback archery on the first day with a large religious procession on the second.

Nikko Toshogu Shrine Autumn Festival runs on 16 and 17 October

The festival begins on Friday 16 October with yabusame, a Shinto ritual in which mounted archers shoot at targets along the Omotesando approach. The published schedule places the entry procession at 1pm and the archery at about 1.30pm, continuing until roughly 2.30pm.

On Saturday 17 October, the Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Musha Gyoretsu procession is scheduled to leave the shrine at 11am. The route runs along the Omotesando to the Otabisho, where a ceremony is planned at noon, before the procession returns towards the shrine at about 1pm. The 2026 festival programme identifies the venue as the shrine in Nikko and gives the two-day period.

Nikko Toshogu Shrine connects the festival with Tokugawa history

The procession recreates the movement of the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu from Sunpu Kuno-zan to Nikko after his death. The route therefore links the public approach with the religious complex that houses his mausoleum, rather than treating the festival as a separate street parade.

Ieyasu died in 1616, and a mausoleum was built at Nikko after his death. His grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu, expanded the smaller shrine 20 years later, creating the basis of the ornate complex seen today. The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property known as the Shrines and Temples of Nikko, which includes 42 buildings at Toshogu within a wider group of 103 religious buildings. UNESCO describes the World Heritage complex as a sacred site associated with the Tokugawa shoguns.

The festival also reflects the shrine's continuing religious use. Its route begins beside the buildings associated with Ieyasu and passes through a World Heritage setting whose architecture, forest and rituals remain connected.

Visiting Nikko Toshogu Shrine: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Autumn Festival takes place at Nikko Toshogu Shrine from 16 to 17 October 2026. Yabusame is scheduled for 16 October, while the procession is scheduled for 17 October.
• The main events use the Omotesando and the route between the shrine and the Otabisho. The published programme gives planned times, but it also says that the schedule may change.
• The shrine is at 2301 Sannai in Nikko, Tochigi. From JR Nikko Station or Tobu-Nikko Station, the published route uses a World Heritage sightseeing bus to Shinkyo, followed by a walk to the site.
• The complex is a religious site on wooded mountain slopes. The visit includes outdoor approaches and the route used by the procession, so comfortable walking footwear is appropriate.
• Japan's official language is Japanese and its national currency is the 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.

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Frequently asked questions about Nikko Toshogu Shrine

When does the Autumn Festival take place at Nikko Toshogu Shrine?

The festival is scheduled for 16 and 17 October 2026. Yabusame is planned for 16 October, followed by the procession on 17 October.

Where is Nikko Toshogu Shrine and how do you get there?

The shrine is at 2301 Sannai in Nikko, Tochigi. Public transport information lists JR Nikko Station and Tobu-Nikko Station, a sightseeing bus to Shinkyo and a walk to the site.

What is Nikko Toshogu Shrine?

It is the mausoleum shrine of Tokugawa Ieyasu and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Shrines and Temples of Nikko. The present complex is based on the expansion ordered by Tokugawa Iemitsu 20 years after Ieyasu's death in 1616.