Published October 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM JST

Each October in Iga, Mie Prefecture, masked oni, portable shrines and nine neighborhood floats parade beneath Iga Ueno Castle in the region's biggest autumn festival.

Quick answer: The Ueno Tenjin Festival is the autumn festival of Ueno Tenjin Shrine in Iga, Mie Prefecture, usually held over a Friday, Saturday and Sunday around October 25, with organizers setting the exact days each year. Nine large wheeled floats called danjiri parade with a procession of colorful oni and a portable shrine. It is a nationally designated folk cultural property and one of the 33 float festivals on the UNESCO list.

Autumn in the Home of the Ninja

Iga is best known abroad for its ninja heritage, but every autumn the city of Iga in western Mie Prefecture shows another side of its culture. The Ueno Tenjin Festival fills the old castle town of Ueno with drums, flutes and the creak of wooden wheels as nine tall danjiri floats are pulled through the streets below Iga Ueno Castle, which stands on high stone walls. Mixed in are processions of masked oni, or demons, which give the festival an unusual and dramatic character.

Mie's tourism pages call it the largest autumn festival in Iga. It is the festival of Ueno Tenjin Shrine, also known as Sugawara Shrine, which according to a government tourism database was founded more than 400 years ago. Over time many of the shrine's celebrations and customs came together into the festival seen today.

Japan designated the festival an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2002, and in 2016 UNESCO inscribed it as one of the 33 Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals. For visitors, it is one of the more distinctive entries on the list, because the floats are only part of a larger story that includes a shrine procession and the oni.

History and Origins

The festival is said to have started as a prayer to prevent epidemics and to give thanks for a good harvest. The exact origin date is unknown, according to the Mie tourism board, but the festival was revived in 1660 after a pause. Like many float festivals in Japan, it shows some influence from the Gion Festival of Kyoto, while keeping its own regional character.

Two stories are told about the oni procession. The En no Gyoja procession, according to the Japan Tourism Agency database, was added after the Iga lord Todo Takatora recovered from a serious eye illness. Townspeople made a pilgrimage to Mount Omine, a holy site for mountain ascetics, to pray for his recovery, and as thanks Takatora gave them valuable Noh masks, which they wore as they reenacted the pilgrimage. The procession is named after En no Gyoja, the legendary founder of the Shugendo tradition.

The second part, the Tametomo procession, is named after the samurai Minamoto no Tametomo, known in stories for defeating wicked oni, and was added to the festival in the late 18th century. It depicts his triumphant return home after a fierce battle. Today participants wear detailed replicas of the old masks, while the originals are displayed during the festival season.

The Nine Danjiri

The heart of the festival is the nine danjiri, each representing one of the central neighborhoods of Iga. According to Mie tourism pages, these are massive multilevel floats on four wooden wheels, each pulled by a team of 20 to 30 people. Each danjiri is decorated with tapestries, lacquered wood and gold leaf, and lanterns are lit around 6 pm to create a glowing evening scene.

Musicians sit in the upper levels of each float and play flutes and percussion. The base melody is Gion hayashi, and each neighborhood adds its own tune, so the sound changes as different danjiri pass. The nine danjiri are paired with smaller floats called shirushi, which display each neighborhood's symbols and lead the larger float behind.

At corners, a special device lifts the rear wheels, allowing the team to turn the heavy float by hand. The movement looks dramatic, and watching a team work together to pivot a danjiri is a highlight for many visitors.

The Oni Procession and the Shrine Parade

The oni procession is the festival's most unusual feature. Along Sannomachi-suji, one of the main streets of the old town, a line of costumed figures moves to the sound of conch shells and taiko drums. Each oni has a different costume and a handmade mask, and the leader is Akki, the head demon. Another figure, called hyorotsuki, approaches children and playfully makes them cry out. The procession is led by flag bearers carrying tall staffs with white paper streamers.

The masks used in the parade are replicas. The original masks, some of which date back centuries, are shown during the festival period and are designated as cultural properties of Mie Prefecture, according to the tourism board. Seen up close, the individual masks and costumes are a pleasure to compare.

A portable shrine, or mikoshi, parade also forms part of the festival and leads the procession on the final day, carrying the deity of the shrine through the castle town.

The Three Days

According to Mie's tourism pages, the festival is held on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before October 25, and the 2026 schedule is October 23 to 25. A Japanese tourism listing explains that the festival opens with the assembly and decorating of the danjiri, followed by a ceremony called ashizoroe and an evening display of the lantern lit floats.

The second day features the oni procession in the afternoon and the danjiri in the streets, with four danjiri reaching the shrine in the evening. The third day begins with the mikoshi parade in the morning, followed by the oni troupe and the danjiri passing through the castle town. Because exact times change from year to year, the official website, ueno-tenjin-matsuri.jp, is the best place to confirm the timetable.

Between the main events, visitors can walk around the streets to see the floats up close and take in the music. The festival atmosphere builds through the evening as the lanterns shine.

Visiting Iga

Uenoshi Station on the Iga Railway line is right by the festival area, according to the Mie tourism listing. By car, the Ueno or Nakase interchange of the Meihan Expressway is about 5 minutes away, and paid parking is available near the station. Some main streets, including Ginza-dori and Honmachi-dori, have traffic controls on festival days, so travelers should follow signs and detours.

Good manners help. Keep a respectful distance from the floats and from the teams pulling them, do not touch the decorations, and follow the guidance of staff and marshals. Evenings can be cool in late October, so a light extra layer is useful.

Visitors can also see the festival year round at the Danjiri Kaikan, where the floats and oni are on display with video. Other nearby sights mentioned by Mie tourism include the Igaryu Ninja Museum, Iga Ueno Castle, the birthplace of the poet Matsuo Basho and the pottery village of Iga ware.

The UNESCO Listing and Community Spirit

UNESCO describes the float festivals as ways in which communities pray for peace and protection from disasters, with people of all ages sharing the responsibilities of building, repairing and operating the floats. In Iga, that spirit shows in the nine neighborhoods that each look after their own danjiri and in the residents who pull them through the streets.

Seeing the nine danjiri, the oni and the shrine parade together gives a full picture of an old castle town celebrating the harvest season. Whether you come for the music, the masks or the lantern glow, the festival offers a warm introduction to the culture of Iga.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Ueno Tenjin Festival held?

It is usually held over three days from a Friday to a Sunday around October 25, and the 2026 dates are listed as October 23 to 25. Organizers set the exact program each year, so check the official website before you travel.

What are the oni in the festival?

They are costumed figures who walk in a procession through the old town. Each has a unique hand-made mask. They are part of two traditions, the En no Gyoja procession and the Tametomo procession, and the masks worn today are replicas of old originals.

How do I get to the festival?

The festival takes place in the center of Iga, near Uenoshi Station on the Iga Railway line. By car, the Ueno and Nakase interchanges on the Meihan Expressway are about 5 minutes away, and paid parking is available around the station.

Further reading: the UNESCO page for the float festivals, the Mie tourism article on the Ueno Tenjin Festival and the Japan Tourism Agency note on the history of the Ueno Tenjin Festival.

Keep exploring: Toride Shrine Kujirabune: Yokkaichi's Land-Based Whale Hunt Floats; Kuwana Ishidori Festival: Japan's Thunderous Gong and Drum Floats; Nagahama Hikiyama Festival: Children's Kabuki on Golden Floats; Inuyama Festival: Lantern-Lit Floats and Puppets in a Castle Town.