Photo: sailko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Nada Kenka Matsuri

Hyogo · Float procession

Three portable shrines slammed into one another at Matsubara Hachiman shrine in Himeji, deliberately and repeatedly.

Dates

14 to 15 October 2026

Held every year on 14 and 15 October.

Dates checked against the official site on August 20, 2026

The name means fighting festival and it is meant literally. Three mikoshi are carried at a run and driven into each other hard enough to splinter wood, because the belief is that a god enjoys a rough ride and rewards the village that gives one. Alongside the shrines come seven yatai, ornate floats representing the old villages of the district, each carried by dozens of men. Injuries happen. This is not a festival that has been sanded down for visitors, and the grandstand seating exists partly because standing too close is genuinely unwise.

Getting a good spot

Paid grandstand seats are sold in advance and are the sensible choice here, not just the comfortable one. The free areas on the hillside above the shrine give a full view of the collisions from a safe distance.

Where it happens

Himeji Castle Japan's best preserved feudal castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the White Heron Castle for its brilliant ...

Access

Common questions

When is the Nada Kenka Matsuri?

On 14 and 15 October every year, at Matsubara Hachiman shrine in Himeji. The 15th is the day the shrines are driven into each other.

Is it safe to watch?

From the grandstands or the hillside, yes. Close to the ground where the shrines collide, less so. Follow the marshals and do not try to hold a spot at the barrier.