A Hatchojima tradition of offerings entrusting prayers for the harvest to the water
Hatchojima no Gokunō
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Dec
- Location
- Hatchojima Tenmangu Shrine, the neighborhood, the Chikugo River, and Tenjinbori
- Area
- Fukuoka Prefecture・Kurume City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 min · flight time only)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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Age restrictions
- Oshioi-gumi is performed by boys up to 10 years old
- Last updated
- 2026/11/12
Hatchojima no Gokunō is a traditional event in Hatchojima, Miyanojin-machi, Kurume City, where joy over the harvest blends with local legends. It includes a walk through the neighborhood, on the Chikugo River, a pond procession at Tenjinbori, and an arrow-shooting ceremony.
About Hatchojima no Gokunō
Hatchojima no Gokunō is said to be a traditional event combining a Niiname-sai observance celebrating the autumn harvest with a human-sacrifice ritual said to derive from legends such as “Okane’s Repayment” (Edo period).
In 1985, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kurume City.
The and local children carry out the sequence of offerings at Hatchojima Tenmangu Shrine, around the neighborhood, at Tenjinbori, and on the Chikugo River.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the pond procession and offering ritual at Tenjinbori, followed by the arrow-shooting ceremony.
A riverboat is loaded with a yakago basket, and after the shinshoku and children board, the shinshoku chants as the boat circles the camphor tree on the island 3 times clockwise.
Toward the end of the procession, offerings such as 3 shō and 3 gō of brown rice are sunk into the pond, and the traditional serpent-slaying ritual takes place, with arrows shot from the opposite bank toward the camphor tree.
A Hatchojima tradition of offerings entrusting prayers for the harvest to the water
What to expect
The event begins with Oshioi-gumi, in which boys up to 10 years old collect sacred sand, then walk through the neighborhood calling out in unison.
Afterward, they perform misogi on the Chikugo River, and the next day change into white garments and make preparations inside Tenmangu Shrine.
At Tenjinbori, the event proceeds from a prayer service to a pond procession by riverboat, offerings sunk into the water, and the arrow-shooting ceremony.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
対象年齢：お潮井汲みは10歳までの男の子
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hatchojima Tenmangu Shrine, Hatchojima, Miyanojin-machi, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture
- Train and bus
Nishitetsu Amagi Line to Koga-Chaya Station, then about an 8-minute walk
- Parking
Hatchojima Square, free, 20–30 vehicles
Address 〒839-0805 Hatchojima Tenmangu Shrine, Hatchojima, Miyanojin-machi, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Dec
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 Fukuoka Prefecture / Kurume City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
観光で観覧する場合は、天神堀での行事が行われる14:30～17:00の時間帯が案内されています。
When watching the pond procession or arrow-shooting ceremony, follow the on-site guidance so as not to disrupt the offering rituals.
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions listed include Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, the Great Camphor Tree at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Blueberry no Mura tourist farm, and Cosmos Kaido.
All are facilities or places introduced as nearby attractions for Hatchojima no Gokunō.
If you plan to visit them along with the festival, check their opening and operating status.
久留米市美術館
福岡県久留米市にある美術館
水天宮
福岡県久留米市にある神社
高良大社
福岡県久留米市の高良山にある神社
Official information
Kurume City Official Tourism Website, “Hotomeki no Machi”
Hatchojima no Gokunō at a Glance
Hatchojima no Gokunō is a traditional event handed down in Hatchojima, Miyanojin-machi, Kurume City. In 1985, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kurume City.
It brings together a Niiname-sai celebrating the autumn harvest and a human-sacrifice ritual connected to legends from the Edo period.
Its characteristic sequence is Oshioi-gumi, a walk through the neighborhood, misogi on the Chikugo River, a pond procession at Tenjinbori, the offering ritual, and the arrow-shooting ceremony.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/12
