The Autumn Festival at Ōkunitama Jinja Shrine is also called the Chestnut Festival because — you guessed it — the region is known for its top-quality chestnuts. Apparently, they were presented to the Tokugawa Clan during the Edo period because they are that good.
This festival has a lot of history, going back all the way to 1738. Because the chestnut season overlapped with the kagura dance rituals, the festival became known as the “Chestnut Festival.”
What happens?
Each year a yoimatsuri (a kind of pre-festival festival) is held on September 27th before the main festival the next day. Besides eating chestnuts, the highlight is the 260 paper lanterns that light the area. Starting in 1925 and now in the present day, hand-drawn pictures are sketched on the lamps, which makes for a fun display.
For more on autumn sweets, see here.
For 2022, there will be street vendors on both days of the festival from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. — no alcohol will be sold. There will also be dances in the Kagura Hall throughout the day.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
