Inuyama Festival

The Inuyama Festival is a traditional religious festival of Haritsuna Shrine, located at the base of Inuyama Castle. The festival honours the shrine’s enshrined deity and is believed to have begun in 1635 during the Edo period. It is held annually on the first Saturday and Sunday of April and is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.

The origins of the festival lie in early ritual processions. In 1635, celebrations featured a ceremonially decorated horse and a tea-leaf pickers procession. By 1641, the horse dedication was replaced by a float equipped with mechanical puppets, and by the beginning of the 18th century the basic form of the Inuyama Festival had been established. Today, the festival is maintained by the 13 original precincts of the castle town and consists of 13 festival floats and three traditional processions.

The festival’s floats, known locally as “yama”, are three-tiered structures and are designated as Tangible Folk Cultural Properties of Aichi Prefecture. Each float is fitted with elaborate karakuri ningyō (mechanical puppets), which are performed in dedication at Haritsuna Shrine to the accompaniment of flutes and drums.

During the daytime, the floats are paraded through the historic castle town, often alongside blooming cherry blossoms. In the evening, chōchin lanterns are lit on each float, creating a luminous procession through the streets. One of the most dramatic highlights is the “donden”, a maneuver in which floats weighing over three tons are lifted and turned by hand.

In 2016, the Inuyama Festival was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage listing as part of a group of 33 historic float festivals across Japan. Today, it remains one of the region’s most significant spring events, preserving centuries-old religious rituals and craftsmanship.