Akumabarai, in which a shishigashira with loquat-leaf ears travels around the community
Akumabarai (Iizuka)
The 2026 edition of Akumabarai (Iizuka) has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/09/27Ended
- Location
- Iidama Shrine
- 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/23
Akumabarai, passed down in the Iizuka district of Tamamura Town, is an event in which children wearing a distinctive shishigashira visit homes throughout the community to drive away evil.
About Akumabarai (Iizuka)
Akumabarai is a festival of Yasaka Shrine, enshrined within the grounds of Iidama Shrine in the Iizuka district of Tamamura Town.
Led by a child wearing the shishigashira, children visit homes throughout the community and drive away evil by holding people’s heads between its jaws.
The shishigashira in the Iizuka district is made by tying together two straw-bale ends, adding a large furoshiki cloth with a karakusa pattern, and fitting it with a red-paper tongue, loquat-leaf ears, and eyes and nose made from thin Japanese paper.
Akumabarai (Iizuka) is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Tamamura Town.
Source: 町重要無形民俗文化財 | 玉村町 / 文化財一覧 | 玉村町
Festival highlights
A highlight is the shishigashira made from materials distinctive to the Iizuka district.
Two straw-bale ends are tied together to form the head, which is covered with a large furoshiki cloth featuring a karakusa pattern and fitted with a red-paper tongue, eyes and nose made from thin Japanese paper, and loquat-leaf ears.
During the festival, children led by a child wearing the shishigashira travel around the community, shouting “Akumapparai.”
Another distinctive feature is that the ear material differs from that used for akumabarai in places such as the Fujikawa district.
Akumabarai, in which a shishigashira with loquat-leaf ears travels around the community
What to expect
On the day of the festival, children gather around a child wearing the shishigashira and visit homes throughout the community, calling out, “Akumapparai, akumapparai.”
At each home, people’s heads are held between the jaws of the shishigashira in a gesture to drive away evil.
In the Iizuka district, shaping the shishigashira from familiar materials is also part of the event—for example, using loquat leaves for its ears and thin Japanese paper for its eyes and nose.
Passed down as a festival of the Iizuka district (excluding Nishigumi), it is rooted in community life, with Iidama Shrine as its starting point.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Iidama Shrine, 295 Iizuka, Tamamura Town
Address 295 Iizuka, Tamamura Town, Sawa District, Gunma Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)
The 2026 event was announced as scheduled to take place at Iidama Shrine from 9 a.m. until around noon on September 27 (Sunday).
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
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)
Nearby attractions
玉村八幡宮
群馬県玉村町にある神社
Origins and History of Akumabarai (Iizuka)
Akumabarai (Iizuka) is recorded as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by Tamamura Town.
The designation date is Heisei 12 April 27.
No explanation is given of the festival’s origins, when it began, or how it has changed over time.
Official information
Tamamura Town’s official website lists details of Akumabarai (Iizuka) and the 2026 event information under “Town-Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.”
Akumabarai (Iizuka) at a Glance
Akumabarai (Iizuka) is an event passed down at Iidama Shrine in the Iizuka district of Tamamura Town.
Led by a child wearing the shishigashira, children visit homes throughout the community and drive away evil by holding people’s heads between its jaws while calling out.
The Iizuka district’s shishigashira has a distinctive design, with loquat-leaf ears and eyes and a nose made from thin Japanese paper. The festival is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Tamamura Town.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/23
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