Tokyo (Kagurazaka) Events

This is the annual grand festival of Tsukudo Hachiman Shrine, located about a 10-minute walk from the accommodation, closer to Iidabashi. The unique Kagurazaka touch is that the mikishodokoro for the eve of the festival is set up within the grounds of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple.

The procession of the approximately 800kg shiraki omikoshi (held once every few years) and the dedicated Bon dance are highlights. The dates are typically mid to late September each year. Announcements for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the latest dates before visiting.

This is the autumn festival of Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine, one of Kagurazaka's guardian shrines. Children's omikoshi and floats parade along Kagurazaka-dori, bringing lively festivities to the street where the accommodation is located.

It's truly a "neighborhood guardian festival," a special day within the everyday life of Kagurazaka. The dates are typically mid to late September each year, but announcements for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the latest dates before visiting.

This is the annual grand festival of Akagi Shrine, Kagurazaka's guardian deity and the general protector of Ushigome. It's the liveliest autumn festival in the town, just a short walk from the accommodation, with stalls lining the streets after the main ceremony and dedicated performances enlivening the shrine grounds.

The modern shrine building, rebuilt with a design by Kengo Kuma, is also a highlight. The dates are typically mid to late September each year, but announcements for the year can sometimes be late, so please check the official Akagi Shrine page for the latest dates before visiting.

This is an autumn cultural festival held throughout the town of Kagurazaka. Over three weeks, about 40 events pop up in galleries in the alleys, storefronts, and even temple grounds.

Highlights include the open-air exhibition "Kagurazaka Art Square" featuring paintings, calligraphy, and crafts in the grounds of Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, and "Saka ni Oekaki" (Drawing on the Slope) on the final day, where a long sheet of paper is laid out across Kagurazaka-dori for anyone to draw freely. You can walk from the accommodation and pick and choose the events that catch your eye. Please check the official website for the dates and times of individual events during the festival period.

This is the Setsubun bean-throwing ceremony at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, the face of Kagurazaka. It's a winter event held at the temple right in front of the accommodation, along Kagurazaka-dori, where people gather for lucky beans.

While not large in scale, it's an event where you can truly feel the turning of the year in Kagurazaka. Setsubun can sometimes fall on February 2nd depending on the year, so please check the official date for that specific year.

This is Kagurazaka's four-day summer event. The first two days are theHozuki Market, and the latter two days are theAwa Odori Dance Festival.

For Awa Odori, the slope itself becomes the venue. Dancers come down the narrow street, making the experience very close. Groups from Tokushima also participate.

The view differs between the top and bottom of the slope. If your accommodation is halfway up the slope, you can go out before it gets crowded and return if you get tired.