Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival

Overview

The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival (Nihonmatsu no Chochin Matsuri) is the annual grand festival of Nihonmatsu Shrine, held each October in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. In this bold yet gorgeous festival, seven taiko-dai floats, decorated all over with countless lanterns, set out from the seven parish towns and parade through the nighttime streets, and it is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture. More than 300 lanterns are lit on a single float, and the sight of them, linked together, advancing through the darkness is overwhelming. Counted, along with the Kanto Festival of Akita and the Tsushima Tenno Festival of Owari, as one of the Three Great Lantern Festivals of Japan, it bustles with a crowd of some 200,000 people each year, making it one of the largest festivals in Fukushima Prefecture. The fantastical bands of light created by the lantern glow have long been cherished as a scene symbolizing the autumn night of Nihonmatsu.

History and Origins

The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is a festival carried on as the grand festival of Nihonmatsu Shrine. Its origin dates to 1643. In that year, Niwa Mitsushige, who became lord of the Nihonmatsu domain, considered that "in order to carry out good governance, it is important first to raise among the people a spirit of reverence for the gods," and he enshrined Nihonmatsu Shrine and made it so that any of his people, regardless of status, could freely worship there; this is said to be the beginning of the festival. The starting point of this festival lay in the lord's act of establishing the shrine as a spiritual anchor for the people and seeking to unite their faith.

Ever since, the rites of Nihonmatsu Shrine have been borne by the people of the castle town, developing into the present form in which the parish towns send out taiko-dai floats. The distinctive scheme of decorating the floats all over with lanterns heightened the gorgeousness of the festival as a night festival and became its great characteristic. Carried on through long years, this festival is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture and is positioned as a precious event conveying the region's history and faith. It is a festival that the people of the castle town of Nihonmatsu have protected and nurtured across generations, and in the mechanism by which each town sends out a float, the bonds and pride of the community still live on.

Highlights

The greatest highlight is, without question, the parade of the seven taiko-dai floats adorned with countless lanterns. The festival is borne by the floats set out from the seven parish towns, namely Wakamiya, Matsuoka, Honmachi, Kameya, Takeda, Nezaki, and Kakunai. More than 300 lanterns are decorated all over each float, and the sight of red lanterns lit in succession is as if a mountain of light were moving.

On the eve festival of the first day, the festival begins with the sacred fire of Nihonmatsu Shrine being transferred to the red lanterns of the floats. By dividing the shrine's sacred fire among the lanterns of each town, a sacred meaning is invested in the festival. When the floats that have received the fire set out into the streets to the sound of drums and music, the night town is wrapped in lantern glow and festival music. The sight of the floats turning narrow streets and going up and down slopes is full of power, and the calls of the pullers and the resounding of the drums lift the festival's spirits. During the main festival in the daytime, events such as the procession of the portable shrine are also held, allowing one to savor both the fantastical beauty of the lanterns lit in the evening and the solemnity of the daytime rites. The very sight of the lantern glow swaying in the darkness as it tours the town is the greatest charm of this festival, worthy of one of the Three Great Lantern Festivals of Japan.

Event Information and Access

The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is held over three days on the first Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of October each year (the dates were changed in 2019). In 2025 it was held on the schedule of the eve festival on Saturday, October 4, the main festival on Sunday, October 5, and the after-festival on Monday, October 6. The venue is Nihonmatsu Shrine in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, and the surrounding urban area.

Because traffic restrictions are imposed in the urban area during the festival, those visiting by car would do well to check information on the restrictions in advance. Visiting by rail is also possible, and Nihonmatsu is located in the Nakadori region of Fukushima Prefecture. Because the schedule, traffic restrictions, and details of each event may change from year to year, it is best to confirm the latest information through official announcements from Nihonmatsu City or the Nihonmatsu City Tourism Federation when visiting. Because the evening eve festival, when the lantern glow shines most beautifully, draws particularly large crowds, it is best to visit with time to spare.

Things to See Nearby

Nihonmatsu is a place that strongly retains its history as a castle town. In the city are the ruins of Nihonmatsu Castle (Kasumigajo), associated with the Nihonmatsu Boy Corps known for the tragedy of the Boshin War, and the park developed from the castle ruins is also cherished as a famous spot for cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. The festival season falls around the time the autumn leaves begin, and the view from the castle ruins gains in charm. In addition, Nihonmatsu has long been known for sake brewing and chrysanthemum dolls, allowing visitors to encounter the region's traditional culture. After enjoying the splendor of the autumn night at the lantern festival, touring the history and nature of the castle town of Nihonmatsu allows one to feel more deeply the depth of the culture this land has nurtured.

Related Information

The Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival is the grand festival of Nihonmatsu Shrine, originating in Niwa Mitsushige's enshrinement of Nihonmatsu Shrine in 1643 and carried on by the people of the castle town. The scene woven by the seven taiko-dai floats set out from the seven towns and the more than 300 lanterns lit on a single float boasts a gorgeousness worthy of one of the Three Great Lantern Festivals of Japan. As an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukushima Prefecture, it conveys the region's history and faith to the present day. Because the dates, the details of each event, and the traffic restrictions may change from year to year, it is best to confirm the latest information through official announcements from Nihonmatsu City or the Nihonmatsu City Tourism Federation before visiting.

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