Started in 1908 and still going: the oldest chrysanthemum festival in Japan, with dolls dressed entirely in living flowers.
Overview
Kasama Inari Shrine is one of Japan’s major Inari shrines, and its chrysanthemum festival began in 1908 when a previous head priest set up a farming section and displayed chrysanthemums in the grounds. Flower judging was added in 1913, and in 1949 a Kasama chrysanthemum won a blue ribbon at an international show in Seattle.
Today about 10,000 plants are shown across the shrine grounds and the town, in categories from trained single stems and cascades to bonsai, with kiku-ningyo figures dressed in flowers on a theme from the year’s NHK historical drama.
When and where
The festival runs from late October to late November each year, with the shrine grounds as the main venue. Kasama City and the tourism association publish the exact opening and closing dates each autumn, so confirm before travelling.
Nearest station: JR Kasama on the Mito line, about 20 minutes on foot from the shrine.
Getting there
Kasama is reached from Tokyo in about 80 minutes: Joban line limited express to Tomobe, then the Mito line to Kasama. From Mito it is around 20 minutes. A community bus runs from the station to the shrine, and the town is compact enough to walk.
What to expect
A flower show wrapped around a working shrine.
- Roughly 10,000 chrysanthemums in the grounds and around the town
- Kiku-ningyo dolls dressed in living flowers, themed on the year’s taiga drama
- Special display beds shaped as a five-storey pagoda and as Mount Fuji
- Yabusame horseback archery as a shrine rite during the festival
- Kasama’s pottery quarter and the Nichido Museum of Art in the same town
Tickets and admission
Free. The shrine grounds and the displays are open without charge; the kiku-ningyo exhibition area sometimes charges a small fee. Kasama’s museums keep their normal admission.
Tips for visitors
Early to mid November is the safest window for full bloom. Combine the festival with the pottery kilns – Kasama-yaki has a large concentration of studios and galleries within a few kilometres. If you are heading to Mito, Kairakuen is 20 minutes away and worth the detour even outside plum season.
Access and map
| Dates | Late October to late November 2026 (dates announced by the organiser) |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kasama Inari Shrine and central Kasama, Ibaraki |
| Access | JR Kasama station, 20 minutes on foot |
| Admission | Free |
| Official site | Kasama City |
Source: Kasama City official site
Image: Photo: Σ64 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
