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  • See & Do
  • Nikko Area

Nikko Toshogu Shrine Annual Grand Spring Festival

  • Culture
  • Events
  • World Heritage
  • Spring
  • History

You should not miss this festival!

This traditional and sacred festival is the biggest one of Nikko Toshogu Shrine.
On May 17, the Shrine holds the yabusame ritual in which you can see archers’ arts of piloting the horses and shooting arrows on horsebacks.

On May 18, the city has the procession called Hyakumono-Zoroe Sennin Gyoretsu, in which some 1,000 men dressed in samurai warrior outfits march to reproduce the scene where Ieyasu’s grave was being transferred from distant Mount Kunousan in Shizuoka Prefecture to Nikko.

Basic Information

Address 2301, Sannai, Nikko city, Tochigi prefecture, Japan
Telephone Number 0288-54-0560
Website https://www.toshogu.jp/english/events/index.html
Price Free
Date 17 to 18 May, every year
Time 10:00am - 2:00pm
Venue Nikko Toshogu Shrine
DIRECTIONS 6 minutes from Nikko Station or Tobu-Nikko Station by World Heritage Tour bus to Nishisando bus stop.
Map Code 367 312 489*32

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Nikko Area

The Nikko area, in the northwestern part of the prefecture, is particularly mountainous. In the midst of the rich nature, including the 2,486-meter-high volcano Mt. Nantai, Lake Chuzenji, and Kegon Falls, there are numerous shrines and temples that are registered as UNESCO Cultural Heritage sites. From Kinugawa Onsen to Kawaji Onsen, hot springs can also be found throughout the area. There are a wide range of outdoor activities to enjoy as well, such as stand-up paddleboarding in the summer and snowshoeing in the winter.

Seasons in Tochigi