Hamayumi Festival (Matoba-kai)

The Hamayumi Festival (Matoba-kai), held at Shioji Shrine in Nagasu Town, is a festival in which men grapple over a target woven from straw and push it out into the Ariake Sea. The target, purified with seawater, is offered in each household as a prayer for protection from misfortune and household safety.

About Hamayumi Festival (Matoba-kai)

The Hamayumi Festival (Matoba-kai) is a festival passed down at Shioji Shrine in Nagasu Town.

Men wearing shimekomi loincloths fight over a round mat woven from straw—the “target”—grapple over it in the , then push it into the Ariake Sea to conclude the event.

The target is purified with seawater and later divided into small pieces to be offered at household kamidana.

Festival highlights

The highlight is the moment when men wearing shimekomi loincloths snatch the round straw mat “target” from the shrine building.

They continue grappling over the target in the shrine grounds, and finally push it into the Ariake Sea, bringing the festival to a close.

The festival is distinctive in how its powerful physical display is intertwined with the belief in purifying the target with seawater.

A bold traditional event in which a straw target is fought over and purified in the Ariake Sea

What to expect

During the event, men wearing shimekomi loincloths snatch the straw target from the shrine building.

They then grapple over the target in the shrine grounds before pushing it along the road and into the waters of the Ariake Sea, where the event ends.

The target, purified with seawater, is divided into small pieces and offered at household kamidana.

Location and access

Venue and address: Shioji Shrine (Nagasu, Nagasu Town)

Address Nagasu, Nagasu Town

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Dates and season

Season: Every year, the 3rd Sunday of January
Frequency: Every year

Accommodation and hotels PR

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Origins and History of Hamayumi Festival (Matoba-kai)

The festival is said to have originated when parishioners fought over the round straw mat used to carry the shrine’s sacred object during its relocation to the present shrine building.

That mat was passed down as today’s “target,” and the festival developed into an event in which men carry it out from the shrine building and push it into the Ariake Sea.

It was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Nagasu Town in Showa 51March 1.

Official information

The Commerce and Tourism Section of the Town Development Division at Nagasu Town Hall provides information about the photo contest for the Hamayumi Festival (Matoba-kai) held on January 18, 2026.