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Owari Tsushima Tenno Festival

— Lantern boats by night, dressed boats by morning

cultureOff the trail — and worth it

On the fourth Saturday of July and the Sunday after, Tsushima Shrine's summer festival moves onto the water. Lantern-hung boats cross a pond in Tennogawa Park by night, and dressed festival boats follow the next morning.

FromMeitetsu Nagoya Station
Train + ~15 min walkMeitetsu Tsushima Line
Get off atTsushima Station (Meitetsu Tsushima Line)
On foot
Owari Tsushima Tenno Festival

Directions ↗

The sweet spot

It is counted among Japan's three great river festivals, alongside Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri and the Kangensai at Itsukushima Shrine, so it is no secret. But it comes in two parts, and the second, on the Sunday morning, is never seen by visitors who come only for the lanterns.

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Maru-ike pond, Tennogawa ParkKatorisi / CC BY 4.0

Maru-ike pond, Tennogawa Parkthe oval pond left from the old Tenno River, where the boats make their crossing
Otabishothe deity's resting place during the festival, where those on the boats come ashore to worship
Romon gate, Tsushima Shrinethe tower gate donated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a national Important Cultural Property
Main hall, Tsushima Shrinethe main sanctuary donated by the wife of Matsudaira Tadayoshi, also nationally protected

How to actually get there

Meitetsu Nagoya Station → Tsushima Station (Meitetsu Tsushima Line).
Tsushima Station → Tennogawa Park (walk west, ~15 min).
Watch the boats on the Maru-ike pond, then walk to the otabisho.
Walk north to Tsushima Shrine for the tower gate and main hall.

Meitetsu Tsushima Line to Tsushima: From Meitetsu Nagoya Station, take a Tsushima Line train to Tsushima Station; the line branches off the Nagoya Main Line at Sukaguchi. From the station it is about 15 minutes on foot to the shrine and the park.
Back from Tsushima Station: Walk back east along Tenno-dori to Tsushima Station and take the Tsushima Line toward Sukaguchi and Meitetsu Nagoya. If you plan to stay for the evening boats, check the last trains before you set out.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The evening festival belongs to the makiwara boats. Five of them each carry a half-dome of paper lanterns and cross the Maru-ike pond toward the otabisho. The next morning the same boats come out again as danjiri-bune, decorated with figures modelled on Noh plays and playing music as they go. The Ichie-guruma from the Saya district of Aisai joins at the head, making six. From it, ten young men leap into the water with cloth-hung spears and swim ahead to the otabisho. Afterwards, child attendants from the boats escort the portable shrine back to Tsushima Shrine.

How to enjoy it

In 2026 the lanterns were lit at the Kuruma-kodo from 18:30 and the boats set out for the otabisho at 20:15; the morning festival began at 9:10 the next day. Times are set each year, so check Tsushima City's announcement before you go.

Background & history

Tsushima Shrine is traditionally dated to 540 and is regarded as the head shrine of the Tenno shrines across Japan. Its summer festival has close to 600 years of history. The tower gate was donated in 1591, and the Tenno River, cut off when its course was changed in the Edo period, survives as the oval pond in the park. The boat rites became an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980, and in 2016 UNESCO inscribed them among Japan's Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals.

Before you go

Cash: Aichi Prefecture's official event listing gives no viewing fee. Check Tsushima City's festival page for that year's arrangements before you go.
Good to know: The festival goes ahead in light rain. Tsushima Shrine has no car park for visitors and festival-day parking is limited, so the train is the reliable way in.
Another way: From Meitetsu Ichinomiya, the Meitetsu Bisai Line runs south to Tsushima Station.
After you get off: From Tsushima Station, walk west along Tenno-dori for about 15 minutes to the shrine. Tennogawa Park lies about 600 m south of the shrine.