The Nikkō Reitaisai, or Autumn Grand Festival, is held each October 17 at Nikkō Tōshō-gū and is one of Japan's most elaborate shrine processions. Over 1,000 participants dressed as feudal-era samurai, page boys, and court musicians escort a sacred palanquin (mikoshi) through the cedar-lined precincts of the World Heritage shrine complex. The festival mirrors the spring Sennin Gyoretsu but is set against the backdrop of Nikkō's breathtaking autumn foliage. A traditional Yabusame horseback archery demonstration adds further spectacle.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Matsuri
- Season
- Autumn
- Month
- October 17
- Region
- Kanto
- Prefecture
- Tochigi
- City
- Nikkō
Highlights
- ◆1,000-person costumed procession through World Heritage precincts
- ◆Yabusame mounted archery ritual
- ◆Peak autumn foliage framing the ornate shrine buildings
- ◆Sacred mikoshi (portable shrine) procession
- ◆One of Japan's most historically accurate re-enactment festivals