Kotohira-gu Reitaisai 2026
Konpira-san's biggest festival (Oct 9-11, 2026): once a year the mountain deity 'comes down' -- a ~600-strong procession carries the mikoshi 2km through Kotohira by torchlight.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/10/09 16:00 – 2026/10/11
- Where
- Kotohira-gu (Konpira-san), Kotohira, Kagawa
- City
- Across Japan
- Getting there
- About 5-10 min on foot from JR Kotohira Station or Kotoden Kotohira Station to the base of the stone stairway (the main shrine is 785 steps up).
- Price
- Free
- Organizer
- Kotohira-gu
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- About 5-10 min on foot from JR Kotohira Station or Kotoden Kotohira Station to the base of the stone stairway (the main shrine is 785 steps up).
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, families
Highlights
- Oct 9, 16:00 -- Yoi-miya-sai eve ritual
- Oct 10, 21:00 -- the year's only 'O-sagari': mikoshi departs the main shrine for a ~2km, ~600-person night procession to the Otabisho
- Oct 11 -- rites at the Otabisho by day, then the Kanko-sai return procession back up the mountain that night
Background & story
Kotohira-gu enshrines Omononushi, patron of seafarers, and this is its most important annual rite: the one day the deity leaves the 785-step mountain shrine to be paraded through the town below before returning the following night.
Good to know
The O-sagari procession leaves the main shrine at 21:00 on Oct 10 -- arrive early evening for a good spot, and expect a late night as the mikoshi doesn't reach the Otabisho until around midnight.
Frequently asked questions
- What is "O-sagari" at the Kotohira-gu Reitaisai?
- O-sagari ("the descent") is the one day a year the deity of Kotohira-gu leaves its mountain shrine: on October 10, the mikoshi departs the main shrine at 21:00 and is carried by roughly 600 people on a 2km night procession down to the Otabisho.
- When is the Kotohira-gu Reitaisai in 2026?
- October 9-11, 2026, in Kotohira, Kagawa. The main O-sagari procession is on the night of October 10.
- Is it free to watch the Kotohira-gu Reitaisai procession?
- Yes, watching from the streets along the procession route is free.