One of the great things about visiting Japan are the many amazing festivals that take place all around the country. If you happen to be travelling through Yamanashi prefecture this weekend, there’s another traditional festival you’ll want to put on your calendar. This annual celebration, known as the Shingen-Ko Matsuri, commemorates the legacy of Takeda Shingen, a famous warlord of the Warring States period (1467–1568). Now in its 50th year, the festival takes place from October 27 to 29 in the city of Kofu and is noted for hosting the world’s largest samurai parade.
The highlight of the Shingen-Ko Festival is the Koshu Battalion Deployment or samurai parade, which sees more than 1,000 people dressed as samurai marching down the streets of Kofu on Saturday October 28. This parade is a reenactment of the march of warriors to the battlefield of Kawanakajima, the site where Shingen fought a rival general who ruled over the northern region of Japan.
On Saturday, festivities commence at 1.15pm with the parade ceremony starting at 4pm. The march will follow from 4.30pm, with troupes of samurai making their way from Maizuru Castle Park towards Kofu's Scramble Crossing. You can check the detailed schedule here.
Kofu is easily accessible from Tokyo. By train, you can reach the city in about an hour and a half from Shinjuku Station on the JR Chuo Line Limited Express. For more information on the festival, visit the website.
More from Time Out Tokyo
Here’s the official 2023 forecast for autumn leaves in Japan – updated
The world’s first immersive theme park is opening in Odaiba in spring 2024
Japan has one of the world’s ten most captivating Unesco World Heritage Sites in 2023
Tomigaya is one of the world's top 10 coolest neighbourhoods in 2023
The amazing illuminations at Ashikaga Flower Park are here until February 2024
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.