Shirakawa-go in autumn! Autumn leaves and the "Doburoku Festival", the most unusual festival in Japan!

  • Gifu
  • Sightseeing
Photo courtesy of Shirakawa Village Office, Gifu Prefecture
Shirakawa-go Gassho-Zukuri Village, a World Heritage Site, is a place where the original landscape of Japan still remains strong. Known as one of the areas with the heaviest snowfall in Japan, Shirakawa-go is also a great place to visit during the fall foliage season, although the village hosts light-up events in winter! In Shirakawa-go in autumn, when the mountains are colored with brocade, you can see the beautiful scenery of the entire village in autumn colors. Usually, the colors begin to change around mid-October, and the best time to see the leaves is from late October to early November.
A popular event during the fall foliage season is the annual water discharge drill held in preparation for fires in the Gassho-Zukuri Village. The spectacle of Shirakawa-go being bathed in the autumn colors with a simultaneous arch of water is a spectacular sight. The drill takes place somewhere between the end of October and the beginning of November every year, but the schedule is not announced in advance because it is not a sightseeing event but rather a community event. If you happen to be there when it is being held, be sure to watch from the observation deck.

This year, the "Doburoku Festival" will be held for the first time in four years!

From October 14 (Sat.) to 19 (Thu.), each shrine in Shirakawa Village will hold the "Doburoku Festival," the strangest festival in the world, for the first time in four years! After the "Tengaku Matsuri" and "Shishimai (lion dance) dedication" are held at the shrines, a "Goshinko" procession with five-colored flags will walk through the rows of houses and homes in the Gassho Village with the sound of flutes and drums. The doburoku is served to each and every worshiper and visitor to the shrine.

For more information about the doburoku festival, please refer to the following article! If you are interested, please check here.
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Shirakawa-go "Doburoku Festival" in 2023 Schedule

Period: Saturday, October 14 - Thursday, October 19, 2023
[Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine] October 14-15: South of Ogimachi Gassho-Zukuri Village
[Hatoya Hachiman Shrine] October 16-17: R156 Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road entrance intersection
[Iijima Hachiman Shrine] October 18-19: Front of Roadside Station Shirakawa-go

Hours: ( (approximate start time)
8：00～ Festival: Ceremony ritual at the shrine
9：00～ Murakari: Procession of the gods to the district
15：00～ Doburoku ceremony: In the shrine grounds
15：30～17：00 Doburoku serving: In the shrine grounds, Harukoma and folk song dedication: Shrine Bongei Hall
19：00～ Lion dance dedication: In the shrine grounds, Local entertainment dedication: Shrine Bongei Hall
*Harukoma is a traditional Japanese lion dance Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine only.
　　　　　*Time and content vary according to each shrine.


Note: Doburoku will be served only on the shrine grounds.
　　　　　Please follow the instructions of shrine officials and the local fire brigade.
　　　　　Please prepare a commemorative sake cup in advance for those who wish to taste the sake. (Sake cups are available at the Shisho (donation) counter on the shrine grounds.)
・Pouring is not allowed except into the sake cups designated by the shrine.
　　　　　You are not allowed to take doburoku poured from the sake cup home in any other container. If you are found doing so, you will be asked to leave the shrine.
　　　　　Please do not drink alcohol if you are driving a car.

Traffic regulations will be enforced in the village during the festival, so we recommend that you check traffic and parking information in advance. Please also note that some tourist facilities and information centers in the area may be closed.
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