Hida Osaka Chikaramochi Kotaro Fire Festival

Summary

The Hida-Osaka Chikara-mochi Kotaro Fire Festival, built on an old tale of a strongman and guardian statues, fills Osaka-cho in Gero City, Gifu on August 14, 2026. Two festival floats carrying the eight divine generals parade through town before some 200 fireworks close the night over the Higashi-Ueda Dam riverside from around 20:30 — a 7-minute walk from Hida-Osaka Station.

Overview

This is fire festival tradition at village scale: the red and blue niwo yagura, each carrying eight performers as divine generals, wheel through the town streets with chants and splashing energy, retelling the local legend of Kotaro the strongman. Once the parade settles, the evening moves to the Higashi-Ueda Dam riverside, where roughly 200 shells are slated from around 20:30 against a very dark mountain sky. An expected crowd of about 4,000 keeps things lively without overwhelming the small town. Access is unusually easy for a mountain festival — JR Hida-Osaka Station is a 7-minute walk. Drivers can use free temporary lots totaling 300 spaces across nine town sites, open 17:00–22:00, about 40 minutes from Takayama IC. There are no food stalls, so plan dinner before you arrive or bring it along. The executive committee's announcements are the final word on the night's schedule.

Details

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