Annual Grand Festival of Suwa Shrine

A "great manto parade," full of pride and enthusiasm, of Kawaharada Shopping Street

The origin of the present-day manto (lantern floats), can be traced back to the lights used to guide portable shrines from the midway resting point on their way to the main shrine. At this festival, great manto, elaborately created by each neighbourhood in the area, are displayed and pulled around the streets. You can see three teams of dynamic Ondeko, going from door to door, from 7:00 in the morning until around 17:00. From 19:00, eight large lantern floats meet together, and lead the parade through the Kawaharada Shopping Street while shining lights on the front of a portable shrine.