Written by Patrick Balfe
Kanuma is a woodworking town in Tochigi, and its autumn festival is a showcase for what that means: deeply carved wooden floats, hauled through the streets, then pushed up against each other in a musical stand-off. It is on both the national register of important intangible folk culture and the UNESCO list.
What to expect
The centerpiece is the yatai (festival float) — ornately carved, wheeled, and pulled by teams through the town. The day builds through a kurikomi (float entry), then a coordinated mass pull where the floats line up together.
The signature moment is buttsuke: two floats draw level and their musicians play against each other, each trying to throw the other off. It is a contest of nerve and rhythm rather than force, and it is what the festival is known for.
Schedule
The 2026 festival is on October 10 and 11. The organizers publish the detailed running order closer to the date — the float pulls run through the afternoon, with buttsuke into the evening.
Admission
The floats parade public streets, so watching costs nothing. There is no ticketed viewing.
How to get there
The festival centers on Kanuma’s town center. Kanuma Station on the JR Nikkō Line and Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tōbu Nikkō Line both put you within walking distance of the route.
From Tokyo, Kanuma is about 2 hours via Tōbu from Asakusa, or via the Tōhoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and across on the Nikkō Line.
Pro tip: Kanuma sits on the way to Nikkō, so the festival pairs neatly with a Nikkō weekend in peak foliage season rather than needing a trip of its own.
Note that dates and times are subject to change, so check the official website before you go.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
