Hiyoshi Okkuwa Festival

Festival highlights

Highlights include the mikoshi decorated with colorful pinwheels and the iron hoe-shaped object enshrined inside it.

In the festival’s central procession, the mikoshi travels from Ise Shrine to the Okkuwa-sama in Kanaya, and kagura is offered at the Konko family home in Kanaya.

The festival is also characterized by its combination of elements, including nenbutsu odori and the dances of yudate kagura, which join the procession.

A festival in which a mikoshi bearing a hoe-shaped object travels through a mountain village, carrying prayers for a good harvest

What to expect

An iron hoe-shaped shintai is placed in a mikoshi, which proceeds in procession from Ise Shrine to the Okkuwa-sama in Kanaya.

On arriving at the Konko family home in Kanaya, kagura is offered, after which the procession returns to Ise Shrine.

The event also incorporates nenbutsu odori and dances of yudate kagura, bringing together a procession and performing arts offered in succession.

Location and access

Venue and address

Hiyoshi, Wago, Anan — Ise Shrine, the Konko family home, and other locations

Address Hiyoshi, Wago, Anan

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Dates and season

Season

April 29 (suspended)

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

Visitors are advised to follow the instructions of each festival’s preservation society when taking photographs or watching.

As the festival is currently listed as suspended, check its status before visiting.

Source: 阿南町 伊那谷・南信州 祭り日程 / Festival photographer MITSUYUKI KIMURA

Nearby attractions

Temples and shrinesAnan Town

安倍神像神社

長野県下伊那郡阿南町にある神社

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写真：へぼ飯 / CC0

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Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Hiyoshi Okkuwa Festival

Although the festival’s detailed origins are unknown, it is said to have begun when Okkuwa-sama, sent from the Outer Shrine of Ise in Kanpo 2 (1742), was brought to this area.

According to tradition, Okkuwa-sama was later divided and enshrined at Ise Shrine, the village’s tutelary deity, so that it came to be enshrined at two locations in the Hiyoshi district.

It is said that the procession then came to take the form of Okkuwa-sama from Ise Shrine going to visit the Okkuwa-sama in Kanaya.

Official information

The Hiyoshi Okkuwa Festival is introduced as a festival in Hiyoshi, Wago, Anan, by Minami-Shinshu Folk Performing Arts Navi and Shinshu Cultural Properties.

Shinshu Cultural Properties lists it as an intangible folk cultural property designated by the prefecture.

Source: 南信州民俗芸能パートナー企業制度／南信州地域振興局

Hiyoshi Okkuwa Festival at a Glance

The Hiyoshi Okkuwa Festival is held in Hiyoshi, Wago, Anan, and is dedicated to prayers for a plentiful harvest and the driving away of crop pests.

An iron hoe-shaped object is placed in a mikoshi decorated with pinwheels, which proceeds from Ise Shrine to Kanaya. Kagura is offered at the Konko family home, before the mikoshi returns.

This festival, which combines nenbutsu odori and dances of yudate kagura, is designated an intangible folk cultural property by the prefecture, but is currently listed as suspended.