A ritual celebrating a milestone in the community by welcoming the wakago and holding yabusame-style archery and a celebratory gathering
The Wakago Festival at Hachiman Jinja
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- January 9
- Location
- Hachiman
- Area
- Mie Prefecture・Nabari City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 30 min–3 h · bullet train + connecting 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
- 2026/10/22
A ritual passed down at Hachiman Jinja in Takinobara, Nabari City, welcoming the wakago as members of the community. The covenant cup ceremony, walking-archery ritual, celebratory gathering, and communal meal mark a milestone in the community.
About The Wakago Festival at Hachiman Jinja
The Wakago Festival at Hachiman Jinja is a ritual passed down at Hachiman Jinja in Takinobara, Nabari City.
It is held on January 9, welcoming boys born in the district during the year and adopted sons who married into local families as “wakago.”
In recent years, girls have also joined. Through the series of rituals—from the covenant cup ceremony to the walking-archery ritual, celebratory gathering, and communal meal—the wakago are recognized as murabito, or members of the village.
Festival highlights
A distinctive moment is when those gathered share the “covenant cup,” served by the wakago’s father.
In the Omato that follows, an unmarried man whose parents are both living serves as the archer. He shoots arrows while praying for protection from storms, floods, epidemics, crop pests and disease, and evil, as well as for abundant harvests and health and safety.
At the subsequent celebratory gathering, three rounds of ceremonial toasts and are served, and a passage from the Noh song “Nue” is sung.
A ritual celebrating a milestone in the community by welcoming the wakago and holding -style archery and a celebratory gathering
What to expect
The event begins with the covenant cup ceremony, in which the wakago’s father serves the cups as the kobachō, representatives of the eight-person group, the district head, , and others gather.
Next comes the Omato walking-archery ritual, with an eligible unmarried man serving as the archer.
After the walking-archery ritual, three rounds of ceremonial toasts and dengaku are served at the celebratory gathering, followed by a passage from a Noh song and a communal meal.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hachiman Jinja in Takinobara, Nabari City
Address Takinobara, Nabari City
Dates and season
- Season
January 9
Accommodation and hotels PR
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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 Mie Prefecture / Nabari City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
赤目四十八滝
三重県名張市を流れる滝川にある一連の滝の総称
Origins and History of The Wakago Festival at Hachiman Jinja
The Wakago Festival at Hachiman Jinja is a locally transmitted event that preserves the original form of the walking-archery ritual.
On February 21, 2001, it was selected as an intangible folk cultural property requiring measures such as the creation of records.
Because development and other changes are rapidly transforming the local landscape, the event is treated as a cultural property for the purpose of documenting and preserving it.
Official information
Contact: Mie Prefectural Board of Education Secretariat, Social Education and Cultural Properties Protection Division / 13 Komeicho, Tsu, Mie 514-8570 / Phone: 059-224-2999 / Email: shabun@pref.mie.lg.jp
The Wakago Festival at Hachiman Jinja at a Glance
The Wakago Festival at Hachiman Jinja is a ritual held in Takinobara, Nabari City, on January 9.
Wakago born in the district are welcomed and recognized as members of the community through the covenant cup ceremony, the Omato walking-archery ritual, a celebratory gathering, and a communal meal.
During the walking-archery ritual, prayers are offered for protection from storms, floods, and epidemics, abundant harvests, and health and safety. It is documented as an intangible folk cultural property that preserves the original form of the walking-archery ritual.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/22
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