Nagawacho Furumachi Toyouke Taijingū Annual Festival “Otaya Festival”

At the festival, each district presents a “dashi” that depicts a scene from folktales, legends, or historical stories. Themes change each year, and handcrafted figures and sets are built to near life-size for that year’s display. Though called “dashi,” these are not the pullable or carriable floats people often imagine; instead, they are stationary decorative stages called okiyama placed on five stages around the shrine. They blend with the surrounding scenery and draw you into the story they represent.

This year (2025) features five displays: “Bunbuku Chagama Tightrope,” “Dōjōji The Maiden Who Became a Serpent,” “The Nine-Tailed Fox (Tamamo-no-Mae) Legend,” “Chūshingura Vendetta,” and “Kōmon and His Party Traveling Through Shinano.”

The festival is held every year on January 14 and 15, when the shrine conducts the Senrei Ceremony, a dedication of the Urayasu no Mai dance, and a performance of Yanagato and Fudō Taiko drums. Food stalls line the area around the shrine, and fireworks are set off at night.