Otawara Yatai Festival

A Traditional Festival Continuing Since the Edo Period – Dazzling Floats That Will Take Your Breath Away!

The floats, intricately carved with flowers, birds, lions, and other designs, are well worth seeing.
The climax of the festival can be said to be the Buttsuke (a musical ensemble) performance by nine floats with golden lanterns.

Location Map

Basic Information

Address	1-1-1 Yamanote, Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture
Telephone Number	0287-22-2273
Website	http://www.ohtawara.jp/yatai/index.html
Date	2026 Spring
Time	■ Evening Festival (April 19): “Kyōen” performance from around 7:00 p.m. ■ Main Festival (April 20): “Kyōen” performance from around 6:50 p.m.
DIRECTIONS	From JR Utsunomiya Line Nishi-Nasuno Station, take a Kanto Jidosha Bus bound for Bato or Gohounoyu for about 9 minutes, get off at “Kenpoku Kenkō Fukushi Center-mae,” then walk about 8 minutes. From JR Tohoku Shinkansen / JR Utsunomiya Line Nasushiobara Station, take the municipal bus “Nasushiobara Line” for about 12 minutes, get off at “Kenpoku Kenkō Fukushi Center-mae,” then walk about 8 minutes.
Map Code	121 408 591*16

Nasu Area

The Nasu area, in the northeastern part of the prefecture, is famous for the imperial villa located there, and is one of Japan’s premier resort areas with its expansive highlands. The climate has allowed the development of a thriving dairy industry, and while there, you can visit a dairy farm that is open to tourists and offers delicious sweets made from milk, such as soft-serve ice cream and cheesecake. There are also many family-friendly facilities like Safari Park, amusement parks, and hot spring facilities like Shiobara Onsen.