Himeji Castle Festival

The 76th Himeji Castle Festival will be held over three days from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24, across multiple venues surrounding Himeji Castle, including Otemae-dori, Otemae Park, and Sannomaru Square within the castle grounds. This year's edition introduces new programming alongside established traditions, with events spanning classical performing arts, historical pageantry, dance, and family activities.

Highlights

Day 1: Traditional Culture Day

The opening day is dedicated to traditional performing arts with the 55th Himeji Castle Takigi Noh, an outdoor Noh theatre performance staged against the backdrop of Himeji Castle at Sannomaru Square, running from 17:00 to 21:00. The programme opens with a parent-and-child Noh classroom recital at 17:00, followed by the main performance at 18:00, featuring the Noh pieces Kocho and Tenko and the Kyogen piece Kitsunezuka. A fire-lighting ceremony is also part of the evening. In the event of rain, the performance moves to the main hall of Himeji City Civic Hall. The performance will be live-streamed and later archived on social media. A multilingual subtitle service called "Noh Sapo" will be available for international visitors, supporting Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean simultaneously.

Day 2: Friendship Day

The second day centres on a large parade and stage events. The parade begins at the northern end of Jōnan-sen, the road running south from Himeji Castle, and proceeds southward along National Route 2 to the Otemae intersection. Highlights include the Himeji Daimyo Procession, a historically reconstructed feudal lord parade with costumes and equipment based on period documents held in the Himeji City collection, including a historical illustrated scroll depicting the Shogun's proxy procession to Kyoto. The Senhime Bridal Procession is also featured, re-enacting the arrival of the historical noblewoman Senhime – granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu – at Himeji Castle. Ambassadors of Himeji Castle will appear in the lead roles of both processions. Parade commentary will be provided in English for international visitors.

The day's schedule opens at around 10:00 with an ambassador presentation and ceremony, followed by stage events at Otemae Park and the main parade sequence through the afternoon, culminating in the Daimyo Procession.

From 16:00 to 17:00 on Otemae-dori, the traditional sō-odori – a long-standing all-participant group dance that has been a fixture of the festival since its early years – will take place with participating groups. Walk-in participation is welcome, with on-the-day registration available until 16:00 at the Karoyashikiato Park (Former Senior Retainer's Residence Park) tent. From approximately 17:10 to 17:40, the newly launched "Himeji de Bon Dance" event will follow at the northern end of Otemae-dori, featuring music spanning multiple generations with special guests DJ Yahagi and MC Gonza. A mobile stage unit called "Ai-an 8-10" will also be present. Walk-in participation is welcomed here as well.

Day 3: All Generation Day

The final day focuses on intergenerational programming. The Kids Event, which begins on Saturday afternoon, continues through Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 at Sannomaru Square. Organised by the Himeji Junior Chamber of Commerce, this year's theme is "Banshu Treasures Project – Carrying and Connecting Himeji's Smiles". Activities include making portable shrine keychains with professional craftsmen and decorating and carrying a miniature portable shrine, offering hands-on engagement with the festival culture of the Banshu region.

Also on Sunday, the 25th Himeji Yosakoi Festival takes place at Otemae Park from 10:00 to 18:00, showcasing dance performances from groups who have rehearsed specifically for the event. The Sound Festival 2026, featuring reggae music and local dance performers, runs from 11:00 to 17:00 at the Shirotopia Memorial Park outdoor stage.