An ancient Sado ritual in which seven shrine attendants present prayers for the rice crop before the deity
Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on February 6 / Every year
- Location
- Gosho Shrine
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Sado City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This ritual is held at Gosho Shrine in Shimokawamo, Sado City. Participants perform actions representing field preparation and rice planting, offering prayers for a bountiful harvest. Seven shrine attendants serve according to a ceremonial order passed down since ancient times.
About Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine
The Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine is a traditional ceremony held at Gosho Shrine in Shimokawamo, Sado City, to pray for a bountiful harvest.
It is a pre-harvest performance depicting rice planting and field preparation before the deity, and has been passed down as folk performing art and .
As one of the ta-asobi rituals preserved on Sado, it carries the region’s agricultural culture into the present.
Source: 新潟県指定 無形民俗文化財：五所神社の御田植神事 - 新潟県佐渡市公式ホームページ / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
The highlight is how the sequence of farm work—from gathering seedlings and tilling the field to using the Ōashi, transplanting rice, and eating—is performed as a ritual.
Seven shrine attendants serve in the ritual: one Ōashi-hiki and six daijin. Wearing hemp kamishimo, they take their seats before the deity.
The tradition is also reflected in the way roles and seating order are passed down within each family, and in the drum’s role as a cue for the proceedings.
An ancient Sado ritual in which seven shrine attendants present prayers for the rice crop before the deity
What to expect
The ritual proceeds in seven ceremonies: the Seedling-Gathering Ceremony, Breakfast Ceremony, Field-Tilling Ceremony, Lunch Ceremony, Ōashi Ceremony, Rice-Transplanting Ceremony, and Dinner Ceremony.
The seven shrine attendants serve in their assigned roles and offer performances depicting the process from field preparation through rice planting before the deity.
Rather than working in an actual rice paddy, participants perform the stages of rice cultivation as a ritual.
How to take part
The is mainly conducted by 7 people known as Miyakata.
The role of Miyakata is passed down within each family, and no information is provided on whether general visitors can take on the same role.
Since 2018, the ban on women entering the grounds has been lifted, and the shinji has been carried on as a more open ceremony.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Gosho Shrine (800 Shimokawamo, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture).
Source: 御田植神事・五所神社 - 新潟文化物語
Address 800 Shimokawamo, Sado City, Niigata Prefecture
Dates and season
It is held annually on February 6; according to Sado City’s information, it starts at 3 p.m.
The ceremony is conducted in the shrine building or before the kami at Gosho .
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Tips for your visit
The shinji is held before the kami at Gosho Jinja. When watching, please follow the signs in the grounds and staff instructions so as not to disrupt the proceedings.
The ban that once barred women from entering from the afternoon onward was lifted in 2018.
Given that this is an ancient shinji whose roles and customs have been passed down, it is best to watch quietly and respectfully.
Nearby attractions
佐渡博物館
新潟県佐渡市にある博物館
佐渡島の金山
新潟県佐渡市にある世界遺産
Origins and History of Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine
It is unclear exactly when the Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine began.
However, the oldest ridge tag preserved at Gosho Shrine bears the words “seven shrine attendants” and the year 1674, suggesting that the ritual was already being performed around that time.
It was once held every year on January 6, but is now passed down on February 6.
Official information
The Sado City official website’s cultural properties guide provides information about the designation category, location, details, time of year, and history of the Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine.
Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine at a Glance
The Otaue Ritual at Gosho Shrine is an ancient ta-asobi ritual held in Shimokawamo, Sado City, to pray for a bountiful harvest.
Seven shrine attendants perform, in sequence, actions such as gathering seedlings, tilling the field, using the Ōashi, and transplanting rice, presenting the stages of rice cultivation before the deity.
例年は2月6日に行われます。
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/10/19
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