🏮 Mando Sai

万灯祭

Taga, Shiga (Taga Shrine) · Every year on 3 August

Summer festivalBon odoriTraditional performing arts

323 days to go
Rooms around Taga, Shiga fill up while the festival is on.

The Manto Festival is held every year from August 3 to 5 at Taga Taisha Shrine in Taga Town, Shiga Prefecture. About 10,000 lanterns light up the shrine grounds, making it a summer tradition in the Lake Biwa region. During the festival, from 19:00 to 21:30, visitors are enveloped in a fantastical light. The festival begins at dusk on August 3 with the Okami-bi Festival at Sugisakayama, the place where the enshrined deity descended. A sacred fire kindled according to ancient rites is carried via Tsukinomiya Shrine at the foot of the mountain to the main shrine, where it is used to light the lanterns. The festival is said to be a rite expressing gratitude to Izanami no Okami, the great deity of Yomi, for protecting the spirits of ancestors. Amid the countless glowing lanterns, events such as the Taga ondo dance, Omi sarugaku, and character shows are held. Visitors can dedicate lanterns with their prayers, and on the day they can also receive prayers from Shinto priests by entering the shrine building.

Getting there

During the festival, from 15:00 onward, vehicles cannot enter the shrine parking lot. Traffic restrictions are also in place on Ema-dori in front of the gate. Please use the parking lot along National Route 307 (in front of Taga Town Hall).