Vivinavi : Yamagata : (Japan) Yamagata

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Yonezawa Uesugi Festival to be held in 2026 ！.

Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture will hold Yonezawa Uesugi Festival until April 29, 2026 （ Wed ・ Celebration ） ～ May 3, 2026 （ Sun ・ Celebration ） ！

Official Yonezawa Uesugi Festival Website
Opening Ceremony ＜ April 29, 2026 (Wed ・ Celebration of the festival) ＞

The Yonezawa Uesugi Festival used to be called the Spring Festival under the castle.

For Yonezawa, a snow country, this festival is also a tradition that heralds the coming of spring after a long and harsh winter. The opening ceremony marks the beginning of the festival.
On this day, the anniversary of Uesugi Kenshin's death, as many as 800 dancers in colorful costumes offer various dances, including a parade of new hanagasa ondo and hanagasa ondo alternately.

"Opening Ceremony"

Time 8:30 ～ 9:00

Contents Opening drum （ Uesugi Taiko Preservation Society ）, dedication dance （ Fujimikai ）
"Min Odori Nagashi"

Time 11:15 ～ 12:40

Place In front of Old Yomeori Kaikan ～ In front of Denkoku no Mori Square

Contents Alternate parade of New Hanagasa Ondo and Hanagasa Ondo

"Stage Event <5269> Folk Dance Float

Folk Dance Float
Buzen Shiki ・ Buzen Shiki Procession ＜ May 2, 2026 （ Sat ） ＞ / Venue ： Denkoku no Mori Mae Plaza

Uesugi Kenshin always performed this ceremony before a battle. The "Buyoe Ceremony," a ceremony to invite the guardian deity of the army, which was performed by Uesugi Kenshin before every battle, will be held. The ceremony is solemnly performed for about an hour in a red-hot bonfire, led by members of the Takeuchi Ceremony Preservation Society.



"Kobudo Demonstration"

Time: 16:30 ～

"Yamagata Love Warriors"

Time: 17:30 ～

"Uesugi Taiko Drum Performance"

Time 6:10 pm ～

"Buyeong Ceremony"

Time 6:30 pm ～ 7:30 pm


Buyeong Ceremony

Bushiki Ceremony
◆Sights

～ Bushiki Gundan Procession ～

Time ： 16:25 ～ 17:10

Before "Bushiki Ceremony" which takes place in the evening Kenshin and the 28 Uesugi generals will walk and march along the route of Uesugi Mausoleum → Senshoin → Uesugi Shrine to pray for the soul of Kenshin, the family patriarch.


Takeshiki Gundan Procession Chart
Uesugi Gundan Procession ・ Battle of Kawanakajima ＜ May 3, 2026 （ Day ・ Celebration ） ＞

In the morning The Uesugi Gundan parade and the gorgeous mikoshi procession will be paraded through the city's main streets.

From 2:00 p.m., the "Kawanakajima Battle" （ in the autumn of the 4th year of Eiroku ） will be recreated on the banks of the Matsukawa River, in what is said to be the greatest battle of the war between the Uesugi and Takeda armies.
Against the backdrop of Mt. Azuma with lingering snow in the distance, the famous scene of the "Three Swords, Seven Swords" in which Kenshin Uesugi cuts into the Takeda forces single-handedly, and the battle scene in which about 500 warriors from both armies, including all the armies, are thrown into confusion, are so powerful that it is like a Sengoku picture scroll revived in the modern age.

"Uesugi Gundan Procession"

Venue ： Yonezawa City

Time ： 9:30 ～ 12:30 （ Schedule ）
"Battle of Kawanakajima"

Venue ： Matsukawa riverbed

Time ： 14:00 ～ 15:30