Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Aichi

In the mountain hamlet of Ayado in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, an extraordinarily rare folk ritual unfolds every August 10 and 15 in the precincts of Heishō-ji temple. With no instruments at all—only chanted prayers, bronze gongs, and the rhythm of geta sandals—it preserves a form of Bon ritual that has nearly vanished elsewhere. Designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1997 and inscribed by UNESCO in 2022 as one of the 41 'Furyu-odori' of Japan, this is a living prayer under the August moon.

Discover the Inuyama Festival Float Event, a UNESCO-recognized springtime ritual at Haritsuna Shrine in Aichi held since 1635. Marvel at thirteen three-tiered yama floats, mechanical karakuri puppet performances, the dramatic 'donden' turn, and a magical night procession of 365 paper lanterns beneath cherry blossoms below National Treasure Inuyama Castle.

Held every May 3 and 4 in Kamezaki, Handa City, Aichi Prefecture, this UNESCO-listed festival sees five magnificent floats decorated with intricate carvings and embroidered curtains charge dramatically down to the beach at low tide. With over 300 years of tradition centered on Kamisaki Shrine, it offers visitors an unforgettable encounter with living Japanese heritage.

Held each February at the ancient temple of Takisanji in Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, the Takisanji Oni Matsuri is a fire festival with roughly 800 years of history. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in March 2025. Inside the temple's nationally important main hall, more than thirty huge torches blaze as three masked demons — Grandfather, Grandmother, and Grandchild — dance to drive away misfortune and bring an abundant harvest. A rare living medieval ritual cared for by the people of Taki village.

In the Aichi Prefecture city of Chiryu, towering wooden floats become moving theaters during the May festival, hosting full three-puppeteer bunraku and string-operated karakuri found nowhere else in Japan. Designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1990 and inscribed by UNESCO in 2016, this 270-year-old tradition is introduced here with its history, performance highlights, and practical visitor guidance.

Held every second Sunday of February at Toba Shinmei Shrine in Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, the Toba Fire Festival is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property with roughly 1,200 years of history. Five-meter-tall, two-ton torches called suzumi are set ablaze, and costumed participants leap into the flames to retrieve sacred objects that are believed to foretell the year's weather and harvest. This guide covers the festival's history, ritual highlights, access details, and surrounding attractions in Nishio City.

Held every February 10 and 11 at Akumi Kanbe Shinmeisha Shrine in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, this thousand-year-old festival fuses Heian-Kamakura era dengaku ritual arts with Japan's founding mythology. Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980, its climax is the dramatic battle between a fierce red demon and a tengu, after which the defeated demon scatters white flour and tankiri-ame candy through the streets — believed to ward off summer illness for the year to come.