Autumn in central Japan draws a different crowd than summer, and it shows you different things. Where summer means food stalls and fireworks, autumn is the season of dashi (festival floats) and craft towns.
There is also one change in autumn 2026 that most other guides have not caught up with yet. The Three Unifiers procession — the parade of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu that has always been the single biggest draw of the Nagoya Matsuri — will NOT take place in 2026. The City of Nagoya has announced that it is forgoing the procession on safety grounds, because the dates clash with the torch relay and opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games. If you were planning an October trip to Nagoya specifically to see Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu ride through the city, this is the one year not to.
Here is a realistic way to build an autumn 2026 trip instead:
- September: go to Seto. Setomono Matsuri (September 12–13) and the Kuru-Fuku Manekineko Matsuri (September 26–27). Festivals you can carry home.
- The first weekend of October: Tokoname or Tsushima. The Tokoname Pottery Festival (October 3–4) and the Owari Tsushima Autumn Festival (October 3–4) fall on the same two days.
- October 9–11 is the busiest stretch of the season. The Takayama Autumn Festival (October 9–10) runs straight into the Seki Cutlery Festival (October 10–11).
- The Nagoya Matsuri on October 17–18: plan around the fact that there is no procession. Go for the venue programs and the bon-odori instead.
- November: Korankei. Less a festival than a foliage season, and the evening illumination is the main event.
Every date printed with a day attached in this guide was confirmed on an organizer, city, or official tourism page. Where we could not confirm a 2026 date, we say so plainly instead of guessing. Plenty of guides fill the gaps with “it’s usually held around this date.” I have met too many travelers who flew in on that basis and found nothing happening.
Last updated: August 2026 | Author: Yuu (Nagoya-born, 35-year resident)
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Table of Contents
- Autumn in Central Japan: Floats and Craft Towns
- 2026 Autumn Festival Calendar (Quick Reference)
- Setomono Matsuri, Seto — September 12–13
- Kuru-Fuku Manekineko Matsuri, Seto — September 26–27
- Tokoname Pottery Festival — October 3–4
- Owari Tsushima Autumn Festival — October 3–4
- Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri) — October 9–10
- Seki Cutlery Festival — October 10–11
- Osu Daido Machinin Matsuri — 2026 Dates Not Yet Announced
- Nagoya Matsuri — October 17–18 (No Procession in 2026)
- Koromo Matsuri, Toyota City — October 17–18, 2026
- Korankei Maple Festival, Asuke — November
- The 2026 Complication: The Asian Games and Asian Para Games
- Practical Guide: Clothing, Cash, Crowds, and Checking Information
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Summary
- About the Author
- Related Guides
Autumn in Central Japan: Floats and Craft Towns
If a Nagoya summer festival means yukata, food stalls, fireworks, and bon-odori, then autumn in central Japan means dashi (festival floats) and things people make.
- Float festivals. Neighborhood floats with centuries of history are hauled through narrow old highways and into shrine precincts. There is a lot to look at: the woodcarving, the metal fittings, the tapestries, the karakuri (mechanical puppets) mounted on top.
- Craft festivals. Seto’s ceramics, Tokoname’s teapots, Seki’s blades. These are festivals where the town’s own industry is the festival. You can carry the result home, which makes them unusually practical for travelers.
Then there is the weather. September through November is the stretch when Nagoya is at its most walkable, in both temperature and humidity. Almost all of the heat-management advice that fills our summer guide stops being necessary. (Month-by-month climate is covered in our best time to visit Nagoya guide.)
How this guide differs from our other two festival guides
This guide goes deep on September through November only — 2026 dates, what you actually see, access, and how long to allow, festival by festival.
Our Nagoya summer festivals guide covers June through August (World Cosplay Summit, Domatsuri, and the rest). This article does not cover any August festival.
Our Central Japan festival calendar is the year-round overview, January to December. If you are still deciding which season to fly in for, start there instead.
2026 Autumn Festival Calendar (Quick Reference)
Every entry below that carries a date was confirmed against an organizer, city government, or official tourism page. “Not yet announced” means we could not find an official 2026 announcement as of August 3, 2026.
| Festival | 2026 dates | Where | In one line | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setomono Matsuri (Seto Pottery Festival) | September 12–13 (Sat–Sun) | Seto, around Owari-Seto Station | Around 200 pottery stalls; one of the largest of its kind in Japan | Half a day to a full day |
| Kuru-Fuku Manekineko Matsuri in Seto | September 26–27 (Sat–Sun) | Seto, around Owari-Seto Station | A beckoning-cat festival; the whole town turns feline | Half a day |
| Tokoname Yaki Matsuri (Tokoname Pottery Festival) | October 3–4 (Sat–Sun) | Tokoname, 3 venues | Kiln market in the teapot town, plus fireworks | Half a day to a full day |
| Owari Tsushima Autumn Festival | October 3–4 (Sat–Sun) | Tsushima, Tsushima Shrine and around the city | Sixteen floats, run into the night under lanterns | Half a day |
| Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri) | October 9–10 (Fri–Sat) | Takayama, around Sakurayama Hachimangu | UNESCO-listed; counted among Japan’s three most beautiful festivals | Two days, one night |
| Seki Cutlery Festival (Hamono Matsuri) | October 10–11 (Sat–Sun) | Seki, Gifu | The blade town’s once-a-year open market | Half a day |
| Osu Daido Machinin Matsuri | Not yet announced (typically a Friday-evening eve program plus the weekend, mid-October) | Nagoya, Osu shopping arcade | Street performance and the oiran dochu | Half a day |
| Nagoya Matsuri | October 17–18 (Sat–Sun) | Nagoya, Hisaya-odori Park and elsewhere | No Three Unifiers procession in 2026 | Half a day |
| Koromo Matsuri | October 17–18 (Sat–Sun) | Toyota City, Koromo Shrine | Eight floats hauled into the shrine, and the “parting in tears” | Half a day |
| Korankei Maple Festival | Not yet announced (Toyota City states “about one month from November 1”) | Asuke, Toyota City | Autumn leaves and evening illumination | A full day |
Two pairs collide on the same dates. October 3–4 is Tokoname versus Tsushima, and October 9–11 is Takayama versus Seki. You cannot do both halves of either pair, so decide early.
Setomono Matsuri (Seto Pottery Festival) — September 12–13, 2026
What it is
Seto is the town that gave the Japanese language its everyday word for tableware — setomono, literally “things from Seto.” Once a year it holds its pottery fair, and you get there from Nagoya by riding the Meitetsu Seto Line to the last stop.
The centerpiece is the Setomono Dairenbai-ichi, the great pottery bargain market. According to Seto’s official tourism site, the road along the Seto River is closed to traffic and around 200 pottery shops set up along it, making it one of the largest markets of its kind in Japan. The festival is framed as an industry festival honoring Kato Tamikichi, revered in Seto as the father of its porcelain.
Set your expectations accordingly: this is not a festival you attend to watch portable shrines or floats go by. It is a festival you walk along a river buying tableware at. For a traveler that is efficient — “went to a festival” and “bought souvenirs” get crossed off in a single afternoon.
2026 dates
September 12–13, 2026 (Sat–Sun) — the 95th edition. Confirmed on Seto City’s official tourism site, Seto Marutto Museum.
Note that the official page does not list start or end times. We do not fill in times by guesswork, so check the hours on the official site before you go.
Access and time to allow
- Venue: around Owari-Seto Station on the Meitetsu Seto Line, and across central Seto. The official page describes the venue as immediately outside Owari-Seto Station.
- From Nagoya: Owari-Seto is the terminus of the Meitetsu Seto Line, so there is no transfer involved. (How to ride it is in our getting around Nagoya guide.)
- Time to allow: half a day for the market itself; a full day if you add the kilns and the Seto Gura Museum.
Before you go
- Ceramics are heavy. Buy at the end of the day, not the start, or you will carry it all around with you.
- Bring small notes and coins. Assume the stalls are cash-only and you will not get stuck.
- Hours and any wet-weather changes should be confirmed on the official Setomono Matsuri page before you travel.
Source: Seto Marutto Museum (Seto City official tourism site), 95th Setomono Matsuri (2026) for the dates, venue, station, market scale, and the festival’s framing.
Kuru-Fuku Manekineko Matsuri in Seto — September 26–27, 2026
What it is
A festival about maneki-neko, the beckoning cat. Seto is one of the places they are made, and for one weekend the whole town goes feline. According to Seto City’s official tourism site, the program includes the “Nippon Maneki-neko 100-Artist Exhibition,” which the city describes as one of Japan’s largest beckoning-cat competitions, along with maneki-neko making workshops, cat-themed goods stalls, and “Fuku-Fuku” lunch specials.
Enough people paint whiskers on their faces and wander the streets that it has something of the flavor of a cat-themed version of the summer’s World Cosplay Summit. Admission is free, though the official page notes it varies by individual program.
For readers coming from abroad: the maneki-neko is the raised-paw cat figure you see in shop entrances all over Japan, kept there to invite good fortune. Buying one in a town that actually makes them carries rather more weight than buying one at an airport.
2026 dates
September 26–27, 2026 (Sat–Sun) — the 31st edition. That is two weeks after Setomono Matsuri. If two trips to Seto is one too many, pick one: Setomono Matsuri if you are there to shop, the Manekineko Matsuri if you are there for workshops and photographs.
Access and time to allow
- Venue: around Owari-Seto Station on the Meitetsu Seto Line and nearby. Again, immediately outside the station.
- Time to allow: half a day. The footprint is smaller than Setomono Matsuri’s, so it covers more easily.
- The official page does not list opening hours, so check the official page for the latest information before you go.
Source: Seto Marutto Museum (Seto City official tourism site), 31st Kuru-Fuku Manekineko Matsuri in Seto (2026) for the dates, venue, station, free admission, and program.
Local tip from Yuu
This is the one festival in this guide that lands squarely inside the Asian Games period (September 19 to October 4). Given that hotel demand around Nagoya may rise over those weeks, anyone planning to stay in Nagoya on a late-September weekend would be wise to book a room early.
Tokoname Yaki Matsuri (Tokoname Pottery Festival) — October 3–4, 2026
What it is
Tokoname sits on the same Chita Peninsula as Chubu Centrair International Airport, and it is a pottery town — the best-known source of Japanese teapots, and the place behind those photographs of red clay walls and stacked ceramic pipes along the Yakimono Sanpomichi, the Pottery Footpath.
The festival brings the town’s kilns, wholesalers, and studio potters together in one place. Tokoname’s tourism site describes it as an occasion where the kilns, wholesalers, and ceramic artists of Tokoname all gather, selling fine pieces, limited editions, and bargains.
The practical advantage is the airport: Tokoname is close enough to Centrair to slot into the day or two before your flight home.
2026 dates and hours
October 3–4, 2026 (Sat–Sun) — the 60th edition, confirmed on the festival’s official site.
- Saturday, October 3: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, October 4: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
There are fireworks on the opening night. The official site announces the Tokoname Citizens’ Fireworks Display from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, October 3. This is the only festival in this guide with fireworks — if you missed the summer season, it is one of the few chances to see them in autumn 2026. Fireworks are the first thing weather cancels, so confirm on the official site on the day.
One thing to watch: there are three separate venues
According to the organizers, the festival runs across three sites: the Boat Race Tokoname venue, the Yakimono Sanpomichi (Pottery Footpath) venue, and the Ceramall venue. They are not next to each other, and trying to see all three will run you out of time.
The official site does not publish nearest stations, walking times, or shuttle bus information for the individual venues. We do not invent that kind of detail, so work out your transportation from the official site before you go.
- Time to allow: half a day for one venue; a full day for multiple venues plus the fireworks.
- For the Chita Peninsula more broadly, see our day trips from Nagoya guide.
Source: Tokoname Yaki Matsuri official site for the dates, daily hours, three venues, and the fireworks display; Tokoname City tourism site (Tokoname Kanko Navi) for the description of who exhibits.
Owari Tsushima Autumn Festival — October 3–4, 2026
What it is
A float festival that lands on exactly the same weekend as the Tokoname Pottery Festival. Where Tokoname is for buying, this one is purely for watching.
According to Tsushima City’s official website, sixteen ornate floats (two currently out of service) come from the four districts of Nanakiri, Mukaijima, Imaichiba, and Kamori, and you can see karakuri puppet performances, the kurumakiri float turns, the gong-and-drum ishidori-saisha carts, and flute-and-drum kagura at points across the city.
The night is the part to stay for. The same city page notes that the floats’ lanterns are lit and the floats keep running after dark. Lantern-lit floats moving through a dark town photograph very well.
2026 dates
October 3–4, 2026 (Sat–Sun), confirmed on the official site of the Tsushima City Tourism Association.
Tsushima City’s own site sets the timing rule as “the first Sunday in October and the Saturday before it,” which matches: the first Sunday of October 2026 is October 4.
Access and time to allow
Straight from the Tsushima City Tourism Association’s official listing:
- By Meitetsu: about 24 minutes from Meitetsu Nagoya Station; get off at Tsushima Station.
- By JR or Kintetsu: change at Yatomi Station and take the Meitetsu Bisai Line about 11 minutes to Tsushima Station.
- Venue: Tsushima Shrine and various points around the city.
- Time to allow: half a day. If you want the evening floats, arrive in the late afternoon and stay into the night.
Crowds are expected, and public transportation is the recommended way in. Confirm the dates and the running order on the Tsushima City Tourism Association’s official page before you go.
Source: Tsushima City Tourism Association official site for the 2026 dates, venue, and access times; Tsushima City official website for the float count, districts, timing rule, and the lantern-lit evening running.
Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri) — October 9–10, 2026
What it is
Of everything in this guide, this is the one most worth traveling a long way for. According to Gifu Prefecture’s official tourism site, the festival’s float event was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2016 as the “Takayama Matsuri no Yatai Gyoji” (the float event of the Takayama Festival).
It takes place around Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine (178 Sakuramachi, Takayama, Gifu Prefecture), in the Edo-period streets of Takayama’s old town. There are karakuri puppet dedications, and an evening festival in which lantern-lit yatai are pulled through the town after dark.
A word that trips people up
At the Takayama festivals, “yatai” does not mean a food stall. Here it means the enormous, elaborately decorated festival floats — the same things called dashi elsewhere in this guide. If you have read our summer festival guide, where yatai does mean food stalls, do not carry that meaning over to Takayama.
There is also a Takayama festival in spring, but that is the Sanno Matsuri at Hie Shrine, a different festival. The autumn one is the Hachiman Matsuri at Sakurayama Hachimangu. They do not field the same floats.
2026 dates
October 9–10, 2026 (Fri–Sat), confirmed on Gifu Prefecture’s official tourism site, Gifu Travel Guide. The same page states plainly that the festival is “held every year on October 9 and 10,” meaning the dates are fixed.
The dates do not move with the day of the week, so when you plan, hold October 9 and 10 — not “the second weekend of October.”
Why this guide does not print times for the karakuri dedication or the evening festival
Gifu Prefecture’s official page does list times, but the weekdays printed beside them do not match the 2026 calendar — the page shows the 9th as a Thursday and the 10th as a Friday, which are the 2025 weekdays. Because the times are very likely carried over from last year, we are not printing them here. Get the schedule from the official announcements of Takayama City and the Takayama Yatai Preservation Association.
Access and time to allow
- Time to allow: from Nagoya, plan two days and one night. A day trip is not impossible, but the evening festival is the high point, and a day trip means giving it up.
- Getting to Takayama and getting around once you are there is covered in our Takayama and Shirakawa-go day trip guide.
- For the full 2026 festival guide — floats, karakuri, access, and what is confirmed so far — see our Takayama Festival guide.
- Book accommodation early. These two days are when Takayama’s rooms fill up most.
- Confirm the program on the official listing and Takayama City’s own announcements before you travel.
Source: Gifu Travel Guide (Gifu Prefecture official tourism site, Gifu Prefecture Tourism Federation) for the 2026 dates, the fixed-date rule, the venue and address, and the UNESCO inscription.
Getting out to Takayama or Korankei without a car?
Guided day trips and bus tours leave from Nagoya, which saves working out connections on a festival day.
Seki Cutlery Festival (Hamono Matsuri) — October 10–11, 2026
What it is
Seki has been a blade town for more than 700 years and was one of Japan’s great centers of swordmaking. Today it makes kitchen knives, scissors, and nail clippers for the world. Once a year the town holds an open market for blades, and that is the Hamono Matsuri.
For readers from abroad this is a strong opportunity to buy a Japanese kitchen knife, since companies that normally sell only wholesale set up stalls.
Taking blades home
Blades must go in checked baggage. They cannot be carried on. Ask at the point of purchase whether the shop can pack them for transport.
2026 dates
October 10–11, 2026 (Sat–Sun) — the 59th edition, confirmed in the official date announcement published by the Seki Hamono Matsuri Executive Committee on the festival’s own site.
Hours and detailed venue information were not included in that announcement (they are to be published later). We are not filling them in by guesswork, so check the official site for the latest information.
One important note for 2026: the Seki Kaji Denshokan is closed
This is the biggest single thing to know about Seki in 2026.
According to Seki City’s official website, the Seki Kaji Denshokan — the city’s swordsmithing museum — is closed for renovation from Monday, September 7, 2026 through Wednesday, March 31, 2027.
Which means that during the 2026 Cutlery Festival, the museum’s main building will not be open. If you come expecting to see the sword exhibits and the smiths’ tools, you will be disappointed.
Seki City does add, however, that “the forging hall can still be used during the construction period.” Whether public demonstrations of traditional Japanese swordforging are held to coincide with the Cutlery Festival varies from year to year, and some years require advance application, so confirm whether anything is scheduled through Seki City’s official announcements.
Access and time to allow
- Seki Kaji Denshokan address: 9-1 Minami-Kasuga-cho, Seki, Gifu Prefecture. About a 5-minute walk from Sekiterasu-mae Station on the Nagaragawa Railway.
- Time to allow: half a day.
- If you are combining this with the Gifu side of the region, our Gifu City day trip guide is a useful companion.
Note that October 10 is also day two of the Takayama Autumn Festival. Takayama and Seki are both in Gifu Prefecture, but they are far apart, so doing both on the same day is not realistic.
Source: Seki Hamono Matsuri official site, “59th Hamono Matsuri dates confirmed” (Seki Hamono Matsuri Executive Committee) for the 2026 dates and organizer; Seki City official website, Seki Kaji Denshokan for the closure period, the forging hall, the address, and the nearest station.
Osu Daido Machinin Matsuri (Osu Street Performers’ Festival) — 2026 Dates Not Yet Announced
What it is
A street-performance festival staged in Nagoya’s Osu shopping arcade. According to the official page of Kinshachi Shotengai (the Nagoya City Federation of Shopping Street Promotion Associations), the festival centers on street performance and the oiran dochu through Osu, with old-fashioned “fubutsu” stalls lining the arcade. The City of Nagoya’s own site describes it as an event where “the customary oiran dochu that enlivens the festival, along with a variety of nostalgic street performances from around Japan, are presented.”
The oiran dochu is a procession recreating the dress of the high-ranking courtesans of the Edo period, and the walk itself is the thing to watch. Oiran are not geisha; the two are frequently confused in English-language writing.
2026 dates: not yet announced as of August 3, 2026
We could not find an official announcement of the 2026 (47th) dates from either the organizers or the city. The City of Nagoya’s official page gives the timing only as “October.”
For reference, the most recent edition — the 46th, in 2025 — ran on October 10 (Friday, eve program 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.), October 11 (Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.), and October 12 (Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:40 p.m.). That is a 2025 reference only. It is not the 2026 schedule.
So the usual shape is an eve program on a Friday evening in mid-October, with the main days over the weekend. Until the 2026 dates are announced, do not build an itinerary around this festival. The announcement will appear through Nagoya’s official tourism channel (Nagoya Concierge) or the Osu shopping street federation, and you should check there for the latest information before making plans.
Access and time to allow
- Venue: throughout the Osu shopping arcade.
- Time to allow: half a day, or a full day combined with shopping and eating.
- How to walk Osu itself is covered in our Osu shopping street guide.
- For the full 2026 festival guide — dates, the oiran procession, and rain policy — see our Osu Daido Machinin Matsuri guide.
Source: Kinshachi Shotengai official site (Nagoya City Federation of Shopping Street Promotion Associations) for the festival content and the 2025 reference schedule; City of Nagoya official website for the “October” timing and the description of the program.
Nagoya Matsuri — October 17–18, 2026 (No Procession in 2026)
Read this part first
The Nagoya Matsuri procession — the Kyodo Eiketsu Gyoretsu, the parade of the Three Unifiers, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu — will NOT take place in 2026.
Here is the City of Nagoya’s announcement, translated from the Japanese:
“The 72nd Nagoya Matsuri will not hold the Nagoya Matsuri procession (including the public application process for the Three Unifiers roles).”
— City of Nagoya press release, “Outline of the 72nd (FY2026) Nagoya Matsuri” (translated)
The city also stated the reason:
“Because the dates overlap with the torch relay and opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, we regret that, from a safety standpoint, we have decided to forgo holding the Nagoya Matsuri procession.”
— City of Nagoya press release, “Policy for the 72nd (FY2026) Nagoya Matsuri” (translated)
The events at the Oasis 21 venue will also not be held, according to the Nagoya Matsuri official site.
The Nagoya Matsuri has run since 1955 and is the city’s largest civic festival, and the Three Unifiers procession has always been its main attraction. Many English-language guides still describe a warlord parade you can go and watch. That does not apply to 2026. Come for the procession and you will find it is not there.
2026 dates and venues
October 17–18, 2026 (Sat–Sun) — the 72nd edition.
- Main venue: Hisaya-odori Park (Edion Hisaya Hiroba, Angel Hiroba, Ai no Hiroba, and Sakae Hirobasu). Venue programs are also held at Nagoya Castle.
- Hisaya-odori Park venue hours: Saturday, October 17, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Sunday, October 18, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
So what is there to see in 2026?
In place of the procession, the city has announced special programs incorporating elements of the Nagoya Matsuri procession. The following are what the city has listed publicly:
- A flower car display — the flower-decked vehicles normally used in the procession, presented as an exhibit
- Dashi-bayashi festival music and karakuri puppet demonstrations
- Kagura ritual music performances
- A bon-odori dance gathering
- A roaming program linking Nagoya Station to Yabacho
- Free admission to the “Toyotomi Kyodai! Nagoya Nakamura Taiga Drama Exhibition”
In other words, 2026 is the year the festival converts from a moving parade into stationary displays plus stage programs. For anyone who has wanted to look closely and at length at the Three Unifiers’ costumes or the karakuri on the floats, that is arguably an improvement.
The detailed stage timetable is scheduled for publication on the Nagoya Matsuri official site “around early October,” according to the site itself. Check the official site for the latest information before you go.
Access and time to allow
- Venue: Hisaya-odori Park is in central Nagoya, in the Sakae area, and you reach it by subway. Our getting around Nagoya guide covers how to ride it.
- For the full 2026 festival guide — what replaces the procession, free castle entry, and access — see our Nagoya Matsuri guide.
- Time to allow: half a day, or a full day if you also go out to the Nagoya Castle venue.
Source: City of Nagoya press release, “Outline of the 72nd (FY2026) Nagoya Matsuri” for the dates, the cancellation of the procession, the venues, and the replacement programs; City of Nagoya press release, “Policy for the 72nd (FY2026) Nagoya Matsuri” for the reason; Nagoya Matsuri official site, Hisaya-odori Park venue for the venue hours and the timing of the leaflet release; Nagoya Matsuri official site for the Oasis 21 venue.
Koromo Matsuri (Toyota City) — October 17–18, 2026
What it is
Koromo is what Toyota City was called before it became the company town of Toyota Motor. The float festival handed down in that old district has, as its high point, eight floats hauled into the grounds of Koromo Shrine.
According to the Koromo Matsuri official site, the eight floats are designated tangible folk cultural properties by the prefecture and the city. The festival’s own description of its highlights, quoted directly, is “the hauling in and hauling out within the grounds of Koromo Shrine, seen on the second day at the hongaku,” and, near the end, the parting rite known as the “naki-wakare,” the parting in tears.
On the first day, the shingaku, there is also the “shichido-mairi,” in which the shrine grounds are circled seven times at night.
Of everything in this guide, this is the least touristed festival. It feels closer to being let into a local parishioners’ festival from the outside, and it is denser for that.
2026 confirmed dates
The Preservation Society’s 2026 flyer confirms Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October — the shingaku (eve) on the 17th and the hongaku (main day) on the 18th.
The organizers state the timing rule behind it:
“As more of the parishioners now work office jobs, the practice has shifted to holding the hongaku on the third Sunday and the shingaku on the Saturday before it.”
— Koromo Matsuri official site (translated)
That rule and the 2026 flyer agree on the same weekend. Confirm on the Koromo Matsuri official site before you go, and see our full Koromo Matsuri 2026 guide for the schedule, the eight floats and access from Nagoya.
Note also that the same weekend collides completely with the Nagoya Matsuri (October 17–18). You cannot do both.
Access and time to allow
- Venue: Koromo Shrine (5-1 Koromo-cho, Toyota City).
- The official parking guidance uses the area around Meitetsu Toyotashi Station as its reference point.
- Time to allow: half a day (daytime, if you want the hauling in and out on the second day).
Source: Koromo Matsuri official site, “Highlights and Schedule” for the timing rule, the eight floats and their cultural property designation, the hauling in and out, and the naki-wakare; Koromo Matsuri official site, “Location” for the venue address and parking guidance.
Korankei Maple Festival (Asuke, Toyota City) — November
The single most crowded place in central Japan in November is Korankei, in Asuke, Toyota City. Roughly four thousand trees turn color and reflect off the surface of the Tomoe River.
Strictly speaking it is a foliage season rather than a festival, but its formal name is the Korankei Momiji Matsuri — the Korankei Maple Festival.
- Timing: Toyota City’s official website describes it as running “about one month from November 1.”
- Illumination: the Asuke Tourism Association states “from sunset until 9:00 p.m.” and “held every day throughout November.”
- The specific 2026 (71st) dates had not been announced as of August 3, 2026. The most recent listing on the Asuke Tourism Association site is 2025’s “70th Korankei Momiji Matsuri, November 1 (Sat) to November 30 (Sun).” That is 2025 information and should not be used as the 2026 schedule.
Korankei is a place where the date you pick decides how much you enjoy it. How to read the peak, how to avoid the traffic, how to work the illumination, and what to do while you are there are all covered in a dedicated guide.
→ Korankei Autumn Leaves Day Trip Guide
Check the Asuke Tourism Association’s official site for the 2026 dates and the latest information before you travel.
Source: Toyota City official website, Korankei Momiji Matsuri for the “about one month from November 1” timing; Toyota City Asuke Tourism Association official site for the illumination hours; Asuke Tourism Association official site, November for the 2025 reference dates.
The 2026 Complication: The Asian Games and Asian Para Games
Autumn 2026 in central Japan is not a normal autumn.
According to the Japan Sports Agency’s official website, the competition periods are as follows.
| Games | Period |
|---|---|
| The 20th Asian Games (2026 / Aichi-Nagoya) | Saturday, September 19 to Sunday, October 4, 2026 |
| The 5th Asian Para Games (2026 / Aichi-Nagoya) | Sunday, October 18 to Saturday, October 24, 2026 |
Of the festivals in this guide, these overlap with the Games periods:
- Kuru-Fuku Manekineko Matsuri (September 26–27) — during the Asian Games
- Tokoname Pottery Festival (October 3–4) — the final weekend of the Asian Games
- Owari Tsushima Autumn Festival (October 3–4) — the same
- Day two of the Nagoya Matsuri (October 18) — the opening ceremony day of the Asian Para Games
And that last overlap is precisely why the Nagoya Matsuri procession was called off for 2026 (see the Nagoya Matsuri section above).
As for what this means for your trip, there are only two things worth saying at this stage:
- Demand for accommodation around Nagoya may rise in late September to early October, and again in the second half of October. If you are staying in those windows, moving early is the safer play.
- There may be traffic restrictions and congestion around venues. Get in the habit of checking the official site on the morning of the festival.
We have not verified competition venues, ticketing, or the location of the opening ceremony, so this guide does not state them. For information about the Games themselves, go to the organizing committee’s official site.
Source: Japan Sports Agency (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) official site for both competition periods.
If you are coming to Nagoya specifically for the Games, our Asian Games 2026 Nagoya visitor guide covers tickets, venues, and getting around during the event.
Practical Guide: Clothing, Cash, Crowds, and Checking Information
What to wear
September is still an extension of summer. Days above 30°C are not unusual in Nagoya in September. October turns comfortable quite suddenly, and November nights at Korankei are cold.
- September: summer clothing plus sun protection. Festivals mean hours outdoors on foot.
- October: something light during the day, one layer to put on morning and evening.
- November, especially evenings at Korankei: dress properly for the cold. The illumination starts after sunset, and the valley is colder than you expect.
- All season: shoes you can walk in. There is a lot of stone paving, gravel, and slope, and at a float festival you end up walking along after the floats.
Month-by-month temperatures are in our best time to visit Nagoya guide.
Cash
Assume the stalls are cash. Even at the pottery markets there are sellers who do not take cashless payment. Small notes and coins will keep you moving.
Crowds and finding a spot
- Float festivals (Tsushima, Takayama, Koromo): settle on your position 30 minutes to an hour before the moment you came for.
- Pottery and blade markets (Seto, Tokoname, Seki): the morning is when it happens. The good pieces sell early.
- Osu is a busy arcade on an ordinary day. On festival days it is considerably busier.
How to check information — the thing this guide most wants you to take away
Festivals get cancelled, rescheduled, and reshaped all the time. The cancellation of the Nagoya Matsuri procession in 2026 is exactly that, happening in front of us.
- Check the festival’s official site (or its X account) the day before you set out, and again on the morning itself.
- English-language information tends to lag. The Japanese official pages are faster and more accurate, and your browser’s translation function is more than good enough to read them.
- “It was like this last year” is not evidence. Where we could not confirm a 2026 date, this guide says “not yet announced” rather than filling the gap.
Opening an official site while you are out there requires a connection. Japanese festivals are outdoor, mobile affairs by nature, so having your own data is a good deal easier than hunting for station and shop Wi-Fi.
Checking official pages while you are out at a festival?
A travel eSIM activates before you land, so you can look up a schedule change from the street.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see the Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu procession at the Nagoya Matsuri in 2026?
No. The Three Unifiers procession will NOT take place in 2026. The City of Nagoya has announced that “the 72nd Nagoya Matsuri will not hold the Nagoya Matsuri procession (including the public application process for the Three Unifiers roles).” The reason is the overlap with the torch relay and opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, and the decision was made on safety grounds. In its place, the city has announced a flower car display, dashi-bayashi music and karakuri puppet demonstrations, and kagura ritual music performances, among other programs. Source: City of Nagoya press release (outline) and City of Nagoya press release (policy).
How many autumn festivals can I fit into one trip?
Based in Nagoya for five or six nights, three or four is realistic. October 3–4 (Tokoname versus Tsushima) and October 9–11 (Takayama versus Seki) each collide, so you can only take one side of each. Allow two days and one night for Takayama specifically, because the evening festival happens after dark.
If I could only choose one, which should it be?
The Takayama Autumn Festival, October 9–10. Its float event was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2016 as the “Takayama Matsuri no Yatai Gyoji,” and because the dates are fixed every year, it is straightforward to plan around. Accommodation does fill up early. Source: Gifu Travel Guide (Gifu Prefecture official tourism site).
Can I take pottery home? What about knives?
Both, yes, but packing and baggage handling are separate problems. Ceramics break, so ask at the shop whether they can pack them. Blades must go in checked baggage. They cannot be carried on.
Which festivals still have no 2026 dates?
As of August 15, 2026, two festivals still have no official 2026 dates: the Osu Daido Machinin Matsuri and the Korankei Maple Festival. Koromo Matsuri’s dates have since been confirmed by the organizers’ 2026 flyer — 17–18 October; see our Koromo Matsuri guide. This guide does not print guessed dates for the remaining two. Check each festival’s own official site.
If I go to the Cutlery Festival, can I also see the sword museum?
Not in 2026. According to Seki City’s official website, the Seki Kaji Denshokan is closed for renovation from Monday, September 7, 2026 through Wednesday, March 31, 2027, and the Cutlery Festival (October 10–11) falls inside that closure. The city does note that “the forging hall can still be used during the construction period.” Source: Seki City official website.
Should I avoid traveling during the Asian Games?
You do not need to avoid it, but book accommodation early. The competition periods are September 19 to October 4, 2026 for the Asian Games and October 18 to 24 for the Asian Para Games. If you are planning to see festivals around Nagoya in those windows, arrange rooms and transportation earlier than you normally would. Source: Japan Sports Agency official site.
Do autumn festivals go ahead in the rain?
It varies by festival. Float festivals may suspend the float running in rain, and fireworks get postponed or cancelled in bad weather. This guide does not state wet-weather policies, because the official pages do not state them. Check the official site on the morning of the day.
Summary
For autumn 2026 in Nagoya and central Japan, these are the dates that matter.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| September 12–13 | Setomono Matsuri (Seto) |
| September 26–27 | Kuru-Fuku Manekineko Matsuri (Seto) |
| October 3–4 | Tokoname Pottery Festival (with fireworks) / Owari Tsushima Autumn Festival — one or the other |
| October 9–10 | Takayama Autumn Festival — two days, one night recommended |
| October 10–11 | Seki Cutlery Festival — collides with Takayama |
| October 17–18 | Nagoya Matsuri — no procession in 2026 / Koromo Matsuri (Toyota) — the two collide |
| November | Korankei (Maple Festival; dates not yet announced) |
| Not yet announced | Osu Daido Machinin Matsuri |
Every date in this guide was confirmed against an organizer, city government, or official tourism page (most on August 3, 2026; Koromo Matsuri’s dates on August 15, 2026). Where we could not confirm one, we wrote “not yet announced.” Festivals still change. Check each official site before you leave.
For what else to do while you are in Nagoya, see our things to do in Nagoya guide; for trips further out, our day trips from Nagoya guide.
About the Author
Yuu was born in Nagoya and has lived there for 35 years. He backpacked around New York for a month as a university student and has traveled to more than 15 countries since. He has watched the Three Unifiers procession at the Nagoya Matsuri every year since he was a child, so finding out there would be no procession in 2026 was, honestly, a disappointment. Which is exactly why he wrote this guide — so that nobody else has to discover the same thing after they have already boarded the plane.
Related Guides
- Nagoya Summer Festivals Guide — June through August (World Cosplay Summit, Domatsuri).
- Central Japan Festival Calendar — the year-round overview, for readers still deciding which season to visit.
- Gifu Nobunaga Festival Guide — the November samurai parade in Gifu City.
- Mino Washi Akari Art Exhibition Guide — Mino’s lantern-lit merchant street, mid-October to the end of November.
- Korankei Autumn Leaves Day Trip Guide — November foliage in depth.
- Takayama and Shirakawa-go Day Trip Guide — read this before the Takayama Autumn Festival.
- Osu Shopping Street Guide — how to walk Osu.
- Day Trips from Nagoya — how to work Seto, Tokoname, and Tsushima into a trip.
- Gifu City Day Trip Guide — combining Seki with the Gifu side of the region.
- Getting Around Nagoya — the subway and the Meitetsu lines.
- Best Time to Visit Nagoya — month-by-month climate.
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Planning a festival-hopping day trip?
Browse Nagoya tours on Klook →Handy for reaching Seto, Tokoname, or Takayama without driving.
