Gokoku Hachimangu Shrine Circuit Ritual

Festival highlights

A highlight is the 4-meter Dosohei, set against a gold-leaf background and topped with Yoshinaka’s Hinomaru horse standard and a gohei.

The procession continues with a gohei bearer wearing an eboshi, kariginu, and travel hakama; a boy aged 5 or older carrying the shrine’s treasured box of old documents; and a youth group dressed in armor.

To the accompaniment of flute and taiko hayashi, the procession circles the wide veranda outside the haiden seven and a half times. Finally, the warriors brandish bows and swords, raise a battle cry, and rush into the honden.

A ritual that keeps a story alive, as a procession linked to Yoshinaka circles the haiden

What to expect

During the ritual, the procession forms with a senior ujiko at the front, followed by a gohei bearer, a boy carrying a box of old documents, and a youth group dressed in armor.

To the accompaniment of flute and taiko hayashi, they circle the wide veranda outside the haiden seven and a half times.

Afterward, the warriors brandish bows and swords, raise a battle cry, and rush into the honden.

This ritual reenacts Kiso Yoshinaka’s visit of thanks through its roles and movements.

Location and access

Venue

Gokoku Hachimangu

Event venue 富山県小矢部市 護国八幡宮

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Nearby attractions

Museums and art museumsOyabe City

小矢部市大谷博物館

富山県小矢部市の博物館・美術館のスポットです。

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Gokoku Hachimangu Shrine Circuit Ritual

This ritual is said to reenact Kiso Yoshinaka’s visit of thanks after his great victory in the Genpei War at the Battle of Kurikara.

It is described as a rare event that has continued since the Edo period.

The current procession, which includes a Dosohei, gohei, a box of old documents, and warriors in armor, is arranged to tell the story of gratitude for victory in battle.

Official information

Oyabe City’s official website introduces the Gokoku Hachimangu Shrine Circuit Ritual as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property under “Designated Cultural Properties 3.”

It provides information about the event’s origins, the formation of the procession, and the ritual movements around the haiden.

案内ページは 指定文化財3（考古資料・歴史資料・無形文化財・無形民俗文化財・有形民俗文化財）｜小矢部市公式ホームページ↗

Gokoku Hachimangu Shrine Circuit Ritual at a Glance

The Gokoku Hachimangu Shrine Circuit Ritual is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Oyabe City, passed down since the Edo period, that reenacts Kiso Yoshinaka’s visit of thanks after his victory in battle.

Led by a 4-meter Dosohei, the procession includes a gohei bearer, a boy carrying a box of old documents, and a youth group dressed in armor.

A distinctive part of the ritual is the sequence in which the procession circles the wide veranda outside the haiden seven and a half times to flute and taiko, before the warriors raise a battle cry and rush into the honden.