A Yabakei festival where mikoshi rush up the mountain and rice-planting movements come alive
Hibara Mats
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on the 2nd Sunday of April / Every year
- Location
- Hibaru-san Shōheiji Temple
- Area
- Oita Prefecture・Nakatsu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 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
- Last updated
- 2026/11/12
The Hibara Mats, handed down at Hibaru-san Shōheiji Temple in Yabakei Town, Nakatsu City, is a festival that prays for a bountiful harvest and features a procession and an Otaue-shiki depicting the actions of rice farming.
About Hibara Mats
The Hibara Mats is a syncretic Buddhist-Shinto festival said to have begun in the Kamakura period, and it prays for a bountiful harvest.
It is handed down at Hibaru-san Shōheiji Temple in Yabakei Town, Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture, and in the villages at the foot of the mountain that were formerly part of the temple’s estate, and boasts a 700-year tradition.
After a Buddhist service and a mikoshi procession, the Otaue-shiki is held to depict rice-farming tasks.
Another defining feature of this event is that local believers have carried out the festival.
Festival highlights
The highlight is “O-nobori,” which begins at the sound of a conch shell.
Led by white-robed warrior monks carrying naginata, three mikoshi rush up from the lower shrine to the main hall, 200 meters away.
The ensuing Otaue-shiki presents a theatrical enactment of the sequence of rice-farming tasks, including stopping the water, plowing the paddy, plastering the ridges, and puddling, accompanied by traditional songs, flute, and .
The festival is also known for the humorous movements of performers such as the person playing the ox puller, and their exchanges with the audience.
A Yabakei festival where mikoshi rush up the mountain and rice-planting movements come alive
What to expect
The event begins with “Shiogumi,” held on the Nakatsu shore 1 week beforehand, and on the day proceeds through “O-sagari,” a Buddhist service, “O-nobori,” and the Otaue-shiki.
During O-nobori, three mikoshi, led by white-robed warrior monks, travel from the lower shrine to the main hall.
At the Otaue-shiki, believers from the villages at the foot of the mountain, dressed in white robes, straw sandals, and braided sedge hats, perform the rice-farming tasks—from stopping the water to sowing the seeds—in the traditional style.
After the ritual before the mikoshi, there are also humorous exchanges with the audience.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hibaru-san Shōheiji Temple (Yabakei Town, Nakatsu City)
Address Yabakei Town, Nakatsu City
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on the 2nd Sunday of April
- Frequency
Every year
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 Oita Prefecture / Nakatsu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
中津城
大分県中津市にあった城
中津市歴史博物館
大分県中津市にある博物館
大江医家史料館
大分県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
村上医家史料館
大分県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
耶馬渓風物館
大分県中津市にある展示館
Origins and History of Hibara Mats
The Hibara Mats is a festival said to have begun in the Kamakura period.
Hibaru-san Shōheiji Temple is a Tendai Buddhist temple said to have been founded about 1400 years ago by Shōkaku Shōnin. The festival has been carried out by believers from Shōheiji Temple and the three villages at the foot of the mountain that were formerly part of the temple’s estate.
As a syncretic Buddhist-Shinto event praying for a bountiful harvest, it features a Buddhist service, a mikoshi procession, and the Otaue-shiki in succession, carrying on a 700-year tradition.
Oita Prefecture’s materials introduce the Hibara Mats as an intangible folk cultural property of the prefecture.
Official information
The Nakatsu City official website’s “Hibara Mats” guide provides an overview of the festival, venue, usual date, and related materials.
Hibara Mats at a Glance
The Hibara Mats is a syncretic Buddhist-Shinto festival praying for a bountiful harvest.
After a Buddhist service, a conch shell signals the start of white-robed warrior monks and three mikoshi rushing up to the main hall, followed by the Otaue-shiki.
At the Otaue-shiki, farming tasks are performed to songs, flute, and taiko, with playful exchanges with the audience as well.
Said to have begun in the Kamakura period, this event has a 700-year history and is handed down at Hibaru-san Shōheiji Temple and in the villages at the foot of the mountain.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/12
