Otsu Matsuri (大津祭), held each autumn in Otsu, Shiga, is a roughly 400-year-old festival in which thirteen tall wooden floats (hikiyama) roll through the old castle town while mechanical karakuri puppets perform. In December 2025 the festival was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list (joining the existing "Yama, Hoko, Yatai" float-festival group), so 2026 is its first edition as a listed event. Otsu is about ten minutes from Kyoto Station by JR, which makes it an easy half-day trip if you are already in Kyoto for the autumn.
In 2026 the festival runs over two days: the eve, yoimiya (宵宮), on Saturday, October 10, and the main day, honmatsuri (本祭), on Sunday, October 11. The two days are very different, and what you can see depends entirely on which one you pick. This guide covers both, along with the food stalls, paid seats, and how to get there.
For festivals elsewhere this season, see our guide to Japan's autumn festivals. If you are in Kyoto that week, the Jidai Matsuri on October 22 is another one to catch.
The float procession, the moving karakuri performances, and the throwing of lucky rice-cake charms all happen only on the main day (October 11). The eve (October 10) is a quieter night: the floats glow under lanterns, and the karakuri dolls are displayed up close inside the old townhouses.
Which day to choose: eve or main day
Here is how the two days compare.
Day | Rough hours | What you'll see |
|---|---|---|
Eve / yoimiya (Sat, Oct 10) | Early evening to about 21:00 | Lantern-lit floats, festival music, karakuri dolls shown in townhouses |
Main / honmatsuri (Sun, Oct 11) | 9:00 to about 17:30 | 13 floats in procession, karakuri (shomon), chimaki charms |
The festival centers on Tenson Shrine (天孫神社, also called Shinomiya Shrine), with the floats circling the surrounding old streets. Otsu Matsuri is counted among the "three great festivals of Omi" (the old province that is now Shiga), alongside the Nagahama and Hiyoshi festivals, and its floats and karakuri were strongly influenced by Kyoto's Gion Matsuri.
The eve, yoimiya (October 10)
The eve is the night to see the floats at rest, lit by lanterns, to the sound of festival music. Without the daytime crowds that follow a procession, you can take your time over the carving and decoration of each float.
On this night the karakuri dolls are taken down from the floats and displayed inside the old townhouses. During the main-day procession you watch the puppets move high up on the floats; on the eve you can study those same dolls up close. If you want to see the faces and mechanisms in detail, the eve is the night to come.
The main day, honmatsuri (October 11)
Around 9:00 on the main day, the thirteen floats set out from Tenson Shrine and wind through the old town until late afternoon.
The highlight is the shomon (所望), the karakuri performance. At more than twenty set points along the route, each float stops and its puppets perform. A white paper streamer (gohei) is raised at each performance spot, so look for the streamers to find the next show.
The karakuri here are said to be the second-oldest in Japan, and all thirteen draw on different sources: classical literature, Noh theater, and Chinese tales. Comparing several floats is part of the fun.
The procession goes ahead in light rain, but it can be canceled or changed in a typhoon or other severe weather. Check the Otsu Matsuri float association's website on the day for the latest.
Yaku-yoke chimaki, the lucky charms
On the main day, the floats throw out yaku-yoke chimaki (厄除け粽): reed bundles shaped like the rice sweet but meant as charms rather than food. People hang the ones they catch at their doorway as protection against misfortune. The charms are blessed by the priest of Tenson Shrine.
The throwing happens only on the main day, not on the eve. Buyers of an afternoon paid seat also receive a chimaki as a keepsake.
Street food and paid seats (October 10 and 11)
Around sixty food stalls line the grounds of Tenson Shrine on both the eve (October 10) and the main day (October 11). Note that on the main day (October 11) the stalls tend to pack up by about 15:00 — earlier than the procession, which runs into the evening. If you arrive late for the evening floats, the stalls may already be thinning out.
If you'd rather watch from a seat, the Biwako Otsu Tourism Association sells reserved viewing tickets along the route. For 2026:
- Morning seat (2,000 yen, new for 2026): the old Tokaido highway, NHK Otsu parking lot, 9:30–10:45. No karakuri performance.
- Ekimae-odori seat (5,000 yen, with keepsake): in front of Otsu Betsuin, 13:30–14:45.
- Old Tokaido seat (5,000 yen, with keepsake): old Tokaido, NHK Otsu parking lot, 14:30–15:45.
- Goshuin-cho set seat (11,000 yen): includes a stamp book and keepsake.
The karakuri performances are only visible from the afternoon seats; the morning seat has none, so don't book the cheaper morning seat expecting to see the puppets. For the time and location of the goshuin-cho set seat, see the official sales page.
Seats are sold online. The festival goes ahead in rain, but umbrellas are not allowed at the seats, so bring a full-length raincoat. Availability changes over the season, so check the official sales page for the latest.
Official site: Biwako Otsu Tourism Association (paid seats)
Getting there
Public transport is easiest. Tenson Shrine is about an 8-minute walk from JR Otsu Station, and about 8 minutes from Shimanoseki Station (島ノ関) on the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line. On both days (October 10 and 11), central streets are closed to traffic and nearby pay parking fills up fast, so the organizers recommend coming by train.
On the main day (October 11), a different line, the street-running Keihan Keishin Line, is partly suspended between Biwako-Hamaotsu and Shinomiya, per the Kyoto City Transportation Bureau. JR Otsu Station and the Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line route to Shimanoseki are not affected, so those remain the simplest ways in. For the exact road closures and times, check the official "traffic regulation map (eve and main day)" on the festival website before you set out.
One last tip: October evenings by Lake Biwa turn chilly, so pack a light layer if you are staying for the eve. The full-length raincoat you would bring for the paid seats does double duty here, since umbrellas aren't allowed.
Check hotel availability and rates in Kyoto
Official site: Otsu Matsuri Float Association
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
