Event details
Mt. Iimori Illumination
Korankei Gorge shows its colors even at night. A light display highlights the trees' colors on Mt. Iimori in shades of gold, creating a surreal view amid Taigetsukyo Bridge's vibrant red color and a shimmering Tomoe River.
• Date and time: Sundown–9:00 pm; Sat, Nov 1–Sun, Nov 30, 2025
Note:
• No extensions to the period or time.
Opening Ceremony
Toyota City's tourism ambassadors make an appearance as free sweet adzuki bean soup is given out and a taiko drum performance by Sanshu Asuke Taiko takes place. Help start the Maple Festival off with a bang!
• Date and time: 4:00 pm–5:00 pm; Sat, Nov 1, 2025 (Sanshu Asuke Taiko performance: 4:30 pm–5:00 pm. Canceled should rainy weather occur.)
• Location: Korankei Square
Monkey show
• Date and time: From 9:00 am almost every day during the Maple Festival period (canceled should rainy weather occur)
• Location: Korankei Square
Otani High School dance performance
Otani High School's dance club—well known from the high school dance video fest LOVE Dan—cuts a rug in an exciting performance!
• Date and time: 12:00 pm–12:30 pm (Korankei Square) and 1:00 pm–1:30 pm (Jinya-Ato Square); Mon, Nov 3 (national holiday), 2025
• Location: Korankei Square and Jinya-Ato Square in the Asuke townscape
City of Toyota's Toyota Illusion Magic Junior Marching Band Maple Festival Traffic Safety Parade
A parade taking off from Asuke Community Center with a total of 80 musicians offers a powerful performance and colorful parade along the roads of Asuke's historic townscape all the way up to the entrance to Mt. Kannon. Traffic safety merchandise is handed out with members from the community.
• Date and time: From 1:00 pm; Sun, Nov 9, 2025 (canceled should rainy weather occur)
• Location: Around the Asuke townscape
Olden-time marching band parade
Locals volunteer for this odd, olden-time parade using eccentric instruments for an entertaining good time.
• Time: All bands performing around 10:00 am–3:00 pm (canceled should rainy weather occur)
• Dates:
Sat, Nov 22: Tora Chindon group
Mon, Nov 24 (national holiday): Kizuna group
Sat, Nov 29: Emihana Chindon group
• Location: From the Asuke Historic Townscape to Korankei Gorge (Mt. Iimori side)
Note:
• Moving parade only to prevent people from clustering.
Bamboo lanterns at Kojakuji Temple
Approximately 1,000 bamboo lanterns line the pathway to majestic and serene Kojakuji Temple.
• Date and time: 6:00 pm–8:30 pm on weekends; Sat, Nov 1–Sun, Nov 30, 2025 (Unavailable on Mon, Nov 3 [national holiday]. Canceled should rainy weather occur.)
• Venue: Pathway from main gate to Kojakuji Temple
Wishing candles
Help line the riverbanks near Tomoe Bridge with some 800 glass candles for JPY 500 per candle. Adding a candle is said to make your wishes come true.
• Date and time: 6:00 pm–8:30 pm on weekends, Sat, Nov 8–Sun, Nov 30, 2025
• Location: Right-side bank of the Tomoe River and below Nishi-machi Parking Lot No. 2.
Note:
• Entry restrictions to the riverside may occur.
DENKEN Traditional Buildings Stamp Rally along Asuke townscape
Stamps are placed at the three spots below in Asuke's historic townscape. Collect all three stamps to receive an original sticker!
• Date: Sat, Nov 1–Sun, Nov 30, 2025 (times vary by the hours of each facility)
• Locations: Former Suzuki Residence, Former Taguchi Residence, and Asuke Chumakan History Museum (all facilities available to enter, free of charge)
Simultaneously held event: Terufumi Karasawa Asuke Festival Posters and Stamp Cards of Asuke's Seven Castles Exhibition
Gaze upon the delightful posters promoting the Asuke Festival, drawn by Terufumi Karasawa over the past 10 years (2015–2025). Original illustrations used on the seven castles of Asuke and a folding screen illustrated with famous Lord Asuke Jiro Shigenori's image also on display.
Asuke map
Asuke Hachimangu Shrine and Asuke Jinja Shrine (B-4 and C-4 on map)
It is said that the Asuke Hachimangu Shrine answers people's prayers for healthy feet. This is because Asuke used to be a crossroads where people could rest their feet during their arduous travels.
The shrine provides amulets for healthier feet and paper fortunes. The main hall of the shrine is a national important cultural asset.
Asuke Jinja Shrine worships skilled archer Asuke Jiro Shigenori. Lord Shigenori played an important part in guarding Emperor Godaigo in the Genko Incident as the military commander-in-chief of an army of 3,000 soldiers.
Korankei Gorge (D-5 on the map)
Korankei Gorge is the most famous place in the Tokai region (Aichi and other surrounding prefectures) for autumn leaves. In November, the leaves of about 3,000 Japanese maple trees turn red and yellow all at once, making for a picturesque view of the gorge. In May, the fresh, new leaves of spring are not to be missed; and in March, light purple dogtooth violets bloom on the northwest face of Mt. Iimori, resulting in Korankei Gorge's reputation as a wonderful location to enjoy Japan's seasonal changes.
Kojakuji Temple (D-6 on the map)
Kojakuji Temple was built in 1427 at the foot of Mt. Iimori upon the grounds of the former residence of lord of the Asuke clan and Asuke Castle as a Sodo-sect Buddhist temple. Korankei Gorge's maples first began with the planting of a single sapling by San-ei Washo, 11th priest of Kojakuji Temple. Paper fortunes are available here.
Sanshu Asuke Yashiki Living Museum (D-7 on the map)
Sanshu Asuke Yashiki is an interactive facility where you can experience olden-day life in the mountains including handwork such as weaving on a loom and indigo dyeing. The facility has a restaurant where you can enjoy delicious mountain village food such as gohei mochi, or large grilled rice cakes on a stick with a sweet and salty miso sauce, as well as grilled salted sweetfish seasoned with salt.
It takes about 10 minutes on foot to get from the greater Korankei Gorge area to Sanshu Asuke Yashiki. (Phone number: 0565-62-1188)
Asuke townscape (D-4 to H-2 on the map)
The town of Asuke was an integral point along the old Ina Kaido Road—also known as the "Chuma Kaido Road"—which connected the Owari and Mikawa regions (in Aichi Prefecture) to the Shinshu region (Nagano Prefecture). Asuke was a merchant town that prospered as an important place for the transportation of goods. Many houses that were built in the latter half of the Edo period (from 1776 to 1830) still remain in Asuke today.
In 2011, the Asuke townscape became the first area in the prefecture of Aichi to be selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Asuke Castle (I-4 on the map)
Asuke Castle was built by the Suzuki family, who ruled the Asuke area during the Warring States period. While the restoration of a mountaintop castle is extremely rare in Japan, this castle was luckily restored based on the results of an excavation.
You can enjoy a beautiful view of Asuke's townscape from the 301-meter-high castle keep. It takes about 40 minutes on foot to get to the castle from Korankei Gorge. (Phone number: 0565-62-0770)
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