[Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture] The 400-year-old post town of Unnojuku sparkles in autumn – The 31st Unnojuku Friendship Festival is held.
Tomi City Press Release: October 21, 2025 [Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture] The 400-year-old post town of Unnojuku comes alive in autumn with the 31st Unnojuku Friendship Festival. First pre-party! Two special days combining history, culture, music, and food Unnojuku, a post town located in Honunno, Tomi City, Nagano Prefecture, celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2025. To commemorate this milestone, we will be holding a special edition of this year’s “31st Unnojuku Fureai Festival.” Unnojuku, where the townscape from the Edo to Meiji periods still remains, will be enlivened with a variety of performances and events over two days. This year, we will also be holding our first “Eve Festival,” featuring jazz and Japanese drumming resonating through the shrine, and a wine bar where you can enjoy wine from Tomi City, offering a fascinating program both day and night.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/138832/66/138832-66-2102ddbe12f3b79d5bc85a710c44e570-794×1123.jpg What is Unnojuku? Unnojuku was the name of a post town on the Hokkoku Kaido road during the Edo period. Because the historic townscape from the Edo to Meiji periods still remains, it has been designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and one of Japan’s Top 100 Roads. In addition, Unnojuku has been holding various special events and projects to commemorate the 400th anniversary of its founding in 2025. 400th anniversary commemorative project: https://tomikan.jp/news/unnojukukaisyuku400nen/ The Unnojuku Fureai Festival traces its origins back to the Unnojuku Hoto Festival, which began in 1990 as a tribute to the Niiname-sai festival held at Shiratori Shrine every November. It has gradually expanded in scale and has now become a major event attracting large numbers of visitors from both within and outside the prefecture, with approximately 4,600 people attending last year. Highlights of this year In addition to the usual events, such as the annual “Urayasu Dance” performed by local elementary school dancers (shrine maidens) at Shiratori Shrine, a public tour of the interior of a building designated as an Important Traditional Building, and a rickshaw ride experience, this year’s festival will also feature a special stage. The festival will be expanded from previous years, with a plethora of special performances and events along the route. Limited-edition merchandise commemorating the 400th anniversary of the founding of the shrine will also be on sale. ★Special performance★ • Shinshu University Yosakoi Festival Club Performance • Nagano University Japanese drum circle performance • Dance Studio Performance (Sany TOMI, SONA DanceStudio, STUDIO EAST) • Ondeko performance by a Sado traditional performing arts group • Uminojuku Art Competition Award Ceremony, etc. In addition, this year we will be holding a pre-event party for the first time! At Shiratori Shrine, you can enjoy a jazz concert, Japanese drumming performances, and wines from Tomi City at the wine bar. Eve festival Date and time: Saturday, November 1, 2020 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Location: Shiratori Shrine grounds (1204-1 Honunno, Tomi City) Contents: Jazz concert, Japanese drum performance, wine bar (serving wine from Tomi City) Price: Free admission Parking: Unnojuku Parking Lots 1 and 2 The 31st Unnojuku Friendship Festival 400th Anniversary Edition Date and Time: Sunday, November 2, 2025, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Opening Ceremony from 9:30 AM) Location: Unnojuku (around the highway) Fee: Free admission Parking: Unnojuku Parking Lots 1, 2, and 3, Unno Mallet Golf Course Parking Lot (riverbed), and Tomi City Hall Parking Lot (shuttle bus available from City Hall) *Free parking at all *The area will be pedestrianized during the festival. Special shuttle bus: Departing from Tanaka Station → via City Hall → to Unnojuku (Parking Lot 1) *Operating times can be found on the website below.
https://tomikan.jp/news/unnojyukufureaimatsuri_20251102/
Organizer/Co-organizer Organizer: Unnojuku Fureai Festival Executive Committee Co-organizer: Tomi City Sponsored by: Tomi City Board of Education, Tomi City Chamber of Commerce, Shinshu Tomi Tourism Association, Unnojuku Merchants, Tanaka District Community Development Association, Tanaka District Safety Association, Unnojuku 400th Anniversary Commemoration Project Executive Committee Contact Information Tomi City Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division 0268-64-5895 Unnojuku Community Center 64-5953 Homepage Shinshu Tomi Tourism Association Homepage
https://tomikan.jp/news/unnojyukufureaimatsuri_20241103/ NPO Unnojuku Trust https://unnojuku-trust.com/recent_event/1335/ Tomi City https://www.city.tomi.nagano.jp/category/eventmoyooshimono/185363.html For more information about this release