Every autumn, Konno Hachimangu Shrine holds one of the biggest festivals in Shibuya. This year, the shrine will commemorate its 930th anniversary, so it’s going to be huge.
What happens?
There are several different events taking place from September 14 to September 17, including a special prayer session, a Shinto-style dance demonstration (kagura), and the biggest of all: a large mikoshi (portable shrine) parade in Aoyama and Shibuya. The highlight is when 14 shrines converge together in front of Shibuya 109 on Sunday morning.
Street vendors will also be at the shrine over the weekend, meaning you can grab food and get into the festival spirit.
Schedule 2023
Sep. 14 (Thurs.)
At 11 a.m. on Thursday, there will be a Grand Festival Celebration to signal the start of the official events. At 6 p.m., you can watch the Shibuya Ward Youth Brass Band perform live.
Sep. 15 (Fri.)
There will be a small afternoon purification and mikoshi shrine ceremony.
Sep. 16 (Sat.)
Saturday has events being held all day long at Kagura Hall.
- 11:00: A performance of an East Indian classical dance (Odissi)
- 12:00: Tai Chi performance
- 13:00: Japanese dance performance
- 15:00: Shibuya Folktales
- 17:00: A Chanson performance
- 18:00: Listen to traditional Japanese instruments, koto and shamisen
- 19:00: Pantomime
- 20:00: Live blues
Additionally, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. there will be an exhibition displaying both ponies and horse-drawn horses in the precincts of the shrine.
Sep. 17 (Sun.)
Another day filled with various events, with the main one being a large parade that will take place on the streets of Dogenzaka (Shibuya) in the morning from 10 a.m. and Omotesandō during the afternoon.
At the precincts of the shrine, there will be a Sato Kagura dedication held throughout the day.
How to get there
Shibuya Station is the closest station to Konno Hachimangu Shrine.
