An autumn Shinto ritual featuring kagura drums and a miko dance that preserves ancient forms
Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/11/15Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- The 3rd Sunday of November
- Location
- Oiu Shrine
- Area
- Ibaraki Prefecture・Itako City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 10 min–1 h 30 min · limited express)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
- Age restrictions
- The miko is a girl aged 7 to 13 from among the parishioners of the Oiu settlement
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
An autumn grand festival at Oiu Shrine in Oiu, Itako City, where a miko dance ritual preserving ancient forms is offered.
About Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival
The Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival is an autumn grand festival held at Oiu Shrine in Oiu, Itako City.
On the day of the festival, a miko dance ritual designated as a prefectural cultural property is offered.
It has been passed down as an event associated with the parishioners of the Oiu settlement and is described as a festival that preserves ancient forms.
Source: いばらきの伝統文化-伝統文化 大生神社庭上祭
Festival highlights
A highlight is the ritual dance performed by a miko with long, loose hair, wearing a white ritual robe and scarlet hakama, holding a in her right hand and a bell in her left.
The dancer repeatedly steps backward a few paces to the drums, then moves forward and returns to the starting position.
The dance circles once in front of the deity, performed in five or seven sequences, preserving ancient forms to this day.
An autumn featuring kagura drums and a miko dance that preserves ancient forms
What to expect
At the festival, the chosen miko steps forward in front of the deity, sits down, and then begins to dance to the kagura drums.
Moving the bell and gohei widely, the dancer repeatedly steps backward and forward, completes one circuit in front of the deity, and finishes one sequence.
The ritual concludes with this dance performed in five or seven sequences.
How to take part
The miko at the heart of the festival are girls aged 7 to 13 selected from among the parishioners of the Oiu settlement.
The parishioner representative selects the miko by drawing lots, and senior participants teach her the dance up to the eve of the festival.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Oiu Shrine (814 Oiu, Itako City, Ibaraki Prefecture).
- Train and bus
It is listed as approximately 1 hour and 3 minutes on foot from Nobukata Station and approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes from Itako Station on the JR Kashima Line.
The nearest bus stops are listed as Hamanasu Kindergarten and Iai and Itako Depot on the Kogan Kaigan Line.
Source: ⛩大生神社｜茨城県潮来市 - 八百万の神
Address 〒311-2402 814 Oiu, Itako City, Ibaraki Prefecture
Dates and season
The event is scheduled for November 15 (Sunday) in 2026.
The event is listed as taking place on the 3rd Sunday of November each year.
The miko dance ritual is held at Oiu Shrine as part of its autumn grand festival.
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 Ibaraki Prefecture / Itako City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Suigo Itako Iris Garden
茨城県潮来市にある公園
Origins and History of Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival
The origins of the Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival are unknown.
The miko dance is described as a Shinto ritual that preserves its ancient form.
By November 25, 1996, it had been designated an intangible folk cultural property by the municipality, and the tradition remains active today.
Official information
Ibaraki Prefecture’s “Traditional Culture of Ibaraki” introduces the program, season, cultural property designation, and current status of the Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival.
The official Itako City website also has tourism information and information about Oiu Shrine.
Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival at a Glance
The Oiu Shrine Niwaue Festival is an autumn grand festival held at Oiu Shrine in Oiu, Itako City.
Wearing a white ritual robe and scarlet hakama, the miko dances with a bell and gohei to the kagura drums, preserving ancient forms.
The event is scheduled for November 15 (Sunday) 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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