A protective event in Fujikawa, where children visit homes throughout the area with a lion head and calls
Akumabarai (Fujikawa)
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Event status
- Cancelled
- Season / frequency
- July 24
- Location
- Inari
- Area
- Gunma Prefecture・Tamamura Town(From Tokyo: approx. 50 min–1 h · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Akumabarai passed down in Fujikawa, Tamamura Town, is an event in which children visit homes throughout the area with a lion head and calls. A local protective custom has been passed down in which people’s heads are placed between the jaws of a lion head to drive away evil spirits.
About Akumabarai (Fujikawa)
Akumabarai (Fujikawa) is a festival of Yasaka Shrine, enshrined within the grounds of Inari Jinja in Fujikawa, Tamamura Town.
It is introduced as an event passed down in the Fujikawa (Kami-Fujikawa) and Iizuka (Nishigumi) areas.
During the festival, people visit homes throughout the area with a lion head and place it around people’s heads to drive away evil spirits.
The materials used for the lion head and the way its ears are made differ from those of the Akumabarai in the Iizuka area.
Source: 町重要無形民俗文化財 | 玉村町
Festival highlights
A highlight is the distinctive lion head, made by tying together two straw-bale ends and attaching a large furoshiki cloth with a karakusa pattern.
The lion heads in the Fujikawa and Iizuka (Nishigumi) areas have red paper tongues and eyes, noses, and ears made from hanshi paper.
A feature of this festival is the sight of children led by a child wearing a lion head making their way through the area while calling out.
The protective ritual performed at each home also reflects how deeply rooted this event is in the local community.
A protective event in Fujikawa, where children visit homes throughout the area with a lion head and calls
What to expect
During the festival, children led by a child wearing a lion head visit homes throughout the area, calling out, “Akumapparai, akumapparai” (“Drive away evil spirits, drive away evil spirits”).
At the homes they visit, the lion head is placed around people’s heads to drive away evil spirits.
The event centers on visiting homes throughout the area; it is not limited to activities within the .
The lion head’s ears and other features differ from those of the Akumabarai in the Iizuka area.
How to take part
During the event, children, led by a child wearing a lion head, visit homes throughout the area.
At homes they visit, a ritual is performed in which the lion head is placed around a person’s head to drive away evil spirits.
As this event visits homes in the area, please take care not to obstruct its progress when watching or visiting.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Inari Jinja (55-1 Fujikawa, Tamamura Town).
The event takes place at homes throughout the Fujikawa (Kami-Fujikawa) area.
Address 55-1 Fujikawa, Tamamura, Sawa District, Gunma Prefecture
Dates and season
The Fujikawa Akumabarai will not be held in 2026.
As its usual date, Tamamura Town’s list of local performing arts gives the Akumabarai of the Fujikawa (Kami-Fujikawa) and Iizuka (Nishigumi) areas as July 24.
Source: 玉村町の祭り | 玉村町
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Gunma Prefecture / Tamamura Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The event takes place not only within the shrine grounds but also at homes throughout the Fujikawa district.
Children wearing shishigashira and local residents move around in close proximity, so please watch without obstructing the hosts or the progress of the route.
Whether you may receive the ritual in which your head is gently enclosed by the shishigashira depends on local guidance.
The Fujikawa exorcism will not take place in 2026, so you will need to check whether it is being held before visiting.
Nearby attractions
玉村八幡宮
群馬県玉村町にある神社
Official information
Tamamura Town’s guide to “Town-designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties” introduces the Akumabarai of the Fujikawa (Kami-Fujikawa) and Iizuka (Nishigumi) areas.
For inquiries, contact the Cultural Properties Section of Tamamura Town’s Lifelong Learning Division.
The phone number is 0270-30-6180.
Akumabarai (Fujikawa) at a Glance
Akumabarai (Fujikawa) is a festival of Yasaka Shrine, enshrined at Inari Jinja in Fujikawa.
Children, led by a child wearing a lion head, visit homes throughout the area and place it around people’s heads to drive away evil spirits.
The lion head is made from straw-bale ends, a large furoshiki cloth, and paper. Its ears and other features differ from those of the Akumabarai in the Iizuka area.
The event in Fujikawa will not be held in 2026.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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