Atsuta Matsuri熱田まつり · Atsuta Matsuri

When it is held

Atsuta Matsuri (熱田まつり) is the annual grand festival, or reisai (例祭), of Atsuta Jingū in Nagoya. It is held on June 5 every year, beginning with the rite at 10 am. It is also known as the Shōbu-sai (尚武祭). In 2026 it fell on a Friday.

The rite

The reisai is the most important and solemn of Atsuta Jingū's ceremonies, and it is attended by an imperial envoy (勅使, chokushi) sent by the Emperor. The chief priest reads a prayer, the envoy presents offerings and reads the imperial message, and prayers are offered for the prosperity of the imperial family and peace in the nation. The rite is held at the main sanctuary and at all 43 auxiliary shrines in and around the grounds.

Festival day

After the rite the grounds fill with offerings and events, and about 250,000 people visit over the day.

• Kentō makiwara (献灯まきわら): from the evening, lantern towers are lit at the shrine's gates. In 2026 there were five at three gates, each hung with 377 lanterns, one for each day and month of the year (365 plus 12).
• Fireworks: about 1,000 shells are launched from Jingū Park, next to the shrine (7:40 to about 8:30 pm in 2026), announcing the start of summer in Nagoya.
• Martial arts and culture: tournaments in kyūdō archery, judo, kendo and sumo, as well as performing arts, haiku and calligraphy, and offerings of tea and flowers.
• Music: Owari Shinjirō drumming and Atsuta kagura in the grounds.
• Neighborhood offerings: children's lion dances and makiwara mikoshi from the surrounding districts.

Local people traditionally put on their first yukata of the year for this festival, carrying a fan and browsing the food stalls, which gives the evening a strong sense of the season.

Watching the fireworks

The fireworks are hard to see from inside the shrine grounds, and Jingū Park is closed to visitors while they are being launched. Viewing from outside, such as from Shirotori Park, is recommended.

Getting there

Meitetsu Jingū-mae Station is a three-minute walk from the shrine. Parking at the shrine may be restricted on festival days and on-street parking is banned across Atsuta Ward, so come by train.

About Atsuta Jingū

Atsuta Jingū holds about 60 regular ceremonies and about 10 special rites each year, many of them tied to the farming year, handed down in their traditional form. The reisai on June 5 is the largest of them. Combine a visit with the shrine's daytime events to see the martial arts tournaments and offerings that give the festival its other name, Shōbu-sai, a festival honoring martial spirit.