Shingen-ko Festival is the biggest event in Yamanashi Prefecture, celebrating the legacy of Takeda Shingen, ruler of Kai Province in the 16th century and one of the most powerful warlords in the fight to unify the fractured state of Japan.
Also known as the "Tiger of Kai", Shingen 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 is said to have been well-loved by his people, many of whom still show respect to this day by referring to him as "Lord Shingen" ("Shingen-ko").

The festivities takes place over three days during cherry blossom season on the weekend preceding 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 generals through the streets of Kofu, officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest samurai parade in 2012.