A custom in Azukizawa where fires and spoken chants on an equinox mountain send off ancestral spirits
Ojin Obana in Azukizawa
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The end of the equinox period in March (the end of the spring equinox period)
- Location
- The cemetery and rice fields in Azukizawa, Hachimantai, and the area around Yakushi on the mid-slope of Mount Gonomiyadake
- Area
- Akita Prefecture・Kazuno City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 min · 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
- 2026/11/11
A traditional observance in which fires are lit on the mountains of Azukizawa during the spring equinox, and ancestral spirits are sent off with spoken chants. There is also a tradition of reading the weather and the coming harvest from the way the fires burn.
About Ojin Obana in Azukizawa
Ojin Obana in Azukizawa is a spring equinox observance passed down in Azukizawa, Hachimantai, Kazuno City.
On the first day, the middle day, and the final day of the equinox period, people welcome and send off ancestral spirits at places such as the cemetery and rice fields, and comfort their souls.
On the final day of the equinox period, fires are lit along the ridge near Yakushi Jinja on the mid-slope of Mount Gonomiyadake to send off ancestral spirits.
It is also designated a city-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Festival highlights
On the final day of the equinox period, fires are lit along the ridge extending southwest from Yakushi Jinja, on the mid-slope of Mount Gonomiyadake—at 12 locations in ordinary years and 13 in leap years.
The fires were counted from the upper end as the lunar January and February, and their burning patterns were seen as omens for favorable or unfavorable weather and harvests.
As the fires burn, chants for sending off ancestral spirits ring out.
A custom in Azukizawa where fires and spoken chants on an equinox mountain send off ancestral spirits
What to expect
On the day, people carry straw, millet stalks, bean stalks, and other materials up the mountain and prepare them so they will burn easily.
People wait for dusk while eating equinox dumplings, then light the fires all at once at a signal.
While the fires burn, people recite spoken chants. On the way down, they light their path with kashibi—a torch-like light made by twisting grape skins—to see where they are stepping.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Azukizawa, Hachimantai, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture (the cemetery and rice fields, and the area around Yakushi Jinja on the mid-slope of Mount Gonomiyadake)
- Train and bus
About a 15-minute walk from JR Hachimantai Station
- By car
About 5 minutes from the Kazuno-Hachimantai Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway
Address Azukizawa, Hachimantai, Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
The end of the equinox period in March (the end of the spring equinox period)
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 Akita Prefecture / Kazuno City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
大湯環状列石
秋田県鹿角市にある縄文時代の配石遺跡
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
鹿角市先人顕彰館
秋田県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
鹿角市歴史民俗資料館
秋田県鹿角市にある博物館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Ojin Obana in Azukizawa
Ojin Obana in Azukizawa is a traditional observance in the Hachimantai-Azukizawa area, believed to have been held since the Edo period.
Kazuno City designated it a city-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Showa 61January 16.
The preservation group is the Azukizawa Residents’ Association. The observance as practiced today includes welcoming and sending off ancestral spirits during the spring equinox, as well as a tradition of predicting the weather and the harvest from the way the fires burn.
Official information
Kazuno City’s “Overview and Event Status” page provides information about the observance, its location, the preservation group, and its cultural property designation.
For inquiries, contact the Kazuno City Cultural Properties and World Heritage Division.
Ojin Obana in Azukizawa at a Glance
Ojin Obana in Azukizawa is a traditional observance held during the spring equinox in Azukizawa, Hachimantai, Kazuno City, to comfort and send off ancestral spirits.
On the final day of the equinox period, several fires were lit along the ridge of Mount Gonomiyadake, and their burning patterns were used to predict the weather and the harvest.
The tradition preserves a sequence of activities: preparing straw and other materials, eating equinox dumplings, and descending the mountain with spoken chants and the light of kashibi.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
