Thank you for your continued patronage of BYAKU Narai.
We are pleased to announce that the traditional festival of Narai-juku will be held again this year on August 11th and 12th.
During this period, traffic restrictions will be in place within the post town, so we would like to inform our guests of the following points.
▼ About the ‘Narai Shizume Shrine Grand Festival’
The Narai Shizume Shrine Grand Festival is a traditional festival held in Shiojiri City’s Narai, featuring the procession of the shrine’s portable shrine. This festival is said to have started during the early Edo period when the Katori Shrine from Chiba Prefecture was enshrined in Narai-juku to ward off an epidemic. Historical documents from 1769 record the same procession as today, indicating that this festival has been preserved for at least 255 years. The residents of Narai are the parishioners, and the festival includes offerings of shrine music, portable shrines, lion dance floats, and sacred horses parading through Narai-juku. Please enjoy the unique atmosphere of Narai’s annual traditional festival.
Schedule:
▼ Eve of the Festival: August 11th (Sunday)
10:00 Departure of floats from Hachiman Shrine
14:00 Arrival of floats at Shizume Shrine, shrine ritual
14:30 Departure of floats from Shizume Shrine
16:00 Arrival of floats at Hachiman Shrine
18:30 Children’s portable shrine and lantern procession departs from Narai Station
20:00 Arrival of children’s portable shrine and lantern procession at Shizume Shrine
▼ Main Festival: August 12th (Monday)
11:30 Shrine ritual at Shizume Shrine
12:00 Offering of shrine music at Shizume Shrine
13:00 Portable shrine departs from Shizume Shrine, procession begins
14:30 Procession passes through Kaginote
16:30 Procession passes through Yokomizu
18:30 Portable shrine arrives at Narai Station
20:00 Portable shrine departs from Narai Station
21:00 Portable shrine arrives at Shizume Shrine, “Ritual of Arrival”
21:20 Concluding ritual, offering of kagura dance
▼ About Traffic Restrictions
During the following times, no vehicles will be allowed to enter or park on the main street of Narai-juku.
Please take note when visiting.
August 11th, 18:00 – 20:00
August 12th, 11:00 – 22:00
▼ Important Information for Guests
During the festival period, please note the following points:
Due to traffic restrictions during the festival, the parking lot for guests will not be available.
Please use the following alternative parking lots:
- Kiso no O-hashi East Parking Lot (on the national road side)
- Kiso no O-hashi West Parking Lot (on the railway side)
- Roadside Station Narai-juku Parking Lot (north of Kiso no O-hashi)
If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to contact us at the following contact number.
TEL: 0264-34-3001
