Travel back to feudal Japan and witness the world's largest gathering of samurai
The Shingen-ko Festival is the biggest event in Yamanashi prefecture, celebrating the legacy of Takeda Shingen, one of the most powerful warlords of 16th century Japan, fighting to be the one to unify what was then a fractioned country.
Known as “the Tiger of Kai”, he commanded the strongest cavalry unit in the country and his forces were said to surpass the combined strength of two of the three unifiers of Japan, Nobunaga Oda and Ieyasu Tokugawa. He was adored by locals, who still show respect to this day by referring to him as "Lord Shingen" ("Shingen-ko").
The festivities takes place over three days typically during cherry blossom season on the weekend before April 12th, the anniversary of Shingen's death, and attract visitors from all over the country and the world.
The highlight of the festival is the deployment of the "Koshu Battalion", an impressive battle corps of 30 horses and 1,600 armored warriors led by Takeda Shingen's 24 commanders through the streets of Kofu; the procession has been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest samurai parade in 2014!
Known as “the Tiger of Kai”, he commanded the strongest cavalry unit in the country and his forces were said to surpass the combined strength of two of the three unifiers of Japan, Nobunaga Oda and Ieyasu Tokugawa. He was adored by locals, who still show respect to this day by referring to him as "Lord Shingen" ("Shingen-ko").
The festivities takes place over three days typically during cherry blossom season on the weekend before April 12th, the anniversary of Shingen's death, and attract visitors from all over the country and the world.
The highlight of the festival is the deployment of the "Koshu Battalion", an impressive battle corps of 30 horses and 1,600 armored warriors led by Takeda Shingen's 24 commanders through the streets of Kofu; the procession has been officially recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest samurai parade in 2014!
| Address | 山梨県甲府市 |
|---|---|
| Opening Times | The Shingen Festival will be held on April 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2025. |
| Notes | Events at the festival include: ・Shingen-ko Memorial Tea Ceremony ・Shingen Food Alley ・Koihime Princess Beauty Contest ・"Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan" Stage-Performance Contest ・Pre-Deployment Ceremony ・Victory-Praying Ceremony ・"Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan" Dance Parade ・Battalion Deployment Ceremony ・Koshu Battalion Deployment parade ・Kid Samurai Parade |
