Dates TBA
Wakagisai 若木祭
Kokugakuin University
Kokugakuin is where many of Japan's Shinto priests study, and it sits in the middle of Shibuya. At its festival, students carry a portable shrine through the campus, and the university museum next door, free, with captions in English and Korean, explains what you just watched.
✅ Open to everyone🚶 No reservation💴 Bring cash
Key facts
- Dates
- Dates TBA
- Hours
- 9:00-17:00 (2025)
- Where
- Shibuya Campus
Open in Google Maps ↗ - Nearest station
- Shibuya Station (JR, Tokyo Metro), about 15 min / Omotesando Station
- Entry
- Free
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Payment
- Bring cash: most stalls don't take cards
- English
- Mostly Japanese (Google Lens helps)
- Official site
- Visit official site ↗
Dates not yet confirmed on the official website.
Last updated: Sep 15, 2026
What it is
- The festival of one of the two universities in Japan that train Shinto priests, a 15-minute walk from Shibuya Station.
- Usually around Culture Day (2025: Nov 1-3). 2026 dates are not announced yet.
- The museum is free and open 10:00-18:00 with irregular closing days, so check its calendar for the festival dates.
Highlights
- The museum holds haniwa figures, Jomon pottery and a permanent exhibition on Shinto, and draws over 60,000 visitors a year.
- The mikoshi procession is run by a student group that keeps the tradition going year after year.
Best time to go
General tips that apply to most Tokyo university festivals.
- Right at opening, usually 10:00: stalls are ready and lines are short.
- On multi-day festivals, weekdays are the quietest days.
- Saturday early afternoon is the busiest time almost everywhere.
- Eat before 11:30 or after 13:30 to skip the lunch rush.
Suggested plan
- 10:00 Pick up a map at the gate. Do the popular indoor events (exhibitions, workshops, cafes) before the lines grow.
- 11:30 Lunch from the food stalls, ahead of the noon rush.
- 13:00 Watch bands, dance and theatre on the outdoor stages.
- 15:00 Walk the campus sights, then sort your trash at an eco-station on the way out.
Rules at the festival
- Ask before photographing students up close.
- No photos where signs say so.
- Sort trash at the eco-stations: burnable, plastic, cans, PET bottles.
- Don't bring your own alcohol. Many festivals ban it; where it is sold, buy only from the official stalls.
- No smoking and no drones on campus.
- Only enter rooms that are part of the festival.
Point-and-show phrases
No Japanese needed. Show this screen to a student at the stall.
| これください | This one, please Kore kudasai |
| いくらですか？ | How much is it? Ikura desu ka? |
| 写真を撮ってもいいですか？ | May I take a photo? Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka? |
| カードは使えますか？ | Can I pay by card? Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka? |
| ゴミ箱はどこですか？ | Where is the trash bin? Gomibako wa doko desu ka? |
| 入口はどこですか？ | Where is the entrance? Iriguchi wa doko desu ka? |
| トイレはどこですか？ | Where is the restroom? Toire wa doko desu ka? |
| おいしい！ | Delicious! Oishii! |
| ありがとうございます | Thank you Arigatou gozaimasu |
Cash & ATMs
Most 7-Eleven stores have ATMs that accept foreign cards, and many are open 24 hours.
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