Honkawa Kagura dances and drums passed down through the mountain village night
Honkawa Kagura
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Around November (the festival period runs from mid-November to early December) / Every year
- Location
- Shrines in the Honkawa area of Ino Town
- Area
- Kochi Prefecture・Ino Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 40 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
At shrines in the Honkawa area of Ino Town, Honkawa fills the stillness of the night with the sound of a large drum and copper clappers. You can watch a variety of performances passed down through this mountain village, including masked kagura, ritual dances, and dances featuring swords and long swords.
About Honkawa Kagura
Honkawa Kagura is a form of kagura passed down at shrines throughout the Honkawa area of Ino Town, Kochi Prefecture.
As a night kagura tradition from the mountain villages of the Shikoku Mountains, it has been performed in the sacred groves of shrines during winter festivals.
People known as kagura tayu preserve and pass on this traditional performing art while working in agriculture.
Source: 本川神楽 | 文化財 | 子育て・教育・文化 | いの町 / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
A highlight is the variety of dances performed on a stage measuring two ken by two ken, surrounded by the four sacred pillars in the .
The repertoire includes eighteen signature pieces, such as “Shime no Mai,” “Sanno,” “Hannya,” and “Kijin-arasoi,” and features both unmasked ritual dances and masked kagura.
Acrobatic elements can also be seen in Oshiki Mai, Ken no Mai, and Naginata no Mai.
Honkawa Kagura dances and drums passed down through the mountain village night
What to expect
During the festival period, the kagura tayu troupe visits the various shrines in the Honkawa area and performs kagura at each one.
Accompanied by the rhythms of a large taiko drum and copper clappers, performances include ritual dances without masks and dances with masks.
The performances also include acrobatic dances featuring swords and long swords, offering an opportunity to take in traditional performing arts in a shrine setting at night.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Shrines in the Honkawa area of Ino Town.
Night kagura is performed as part of each shrine’s autumn festival.
Address Shrines throughout the Honkawa area, Ino Town, Agawa District, Kochi Prefecture
Dates and season
At shrines throughout the Hongawa area, night kagura is performed each year as part of the autumn festival in November.
Cultural heritage information gives the period of the shrine festival as mid-November to early December.
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 Kochi Prefecture / Ino Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
いの町紙の博物館
高知県いの町にある博物館
Origins and History of Honkawa Kagura
Honkawa Kagura is a torimono kagura tradition passed down by leaders in the yamabushi tradition, who follow Mitake-kyo or Ishizuchi-kyo.
Research conducted for the compilation of the Honkawa Village history revealed that the Honkawa Kagura drums began to sound in Daiei 3 (1523), when the Takahashi family settled in Nakanokawa, former Honkawa Village.
It was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kochi Prefecture in Showa 38 and an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in Showa 55.
Official information
The cultural properties page on the official Ino Town website provides information about Honkawa Kagura’s location, preservation group, designation history, and performance period.
The phone number for the Ino Town Board of Education Secretariat is also listed as a contact.
Honkawa Kagura at a Glance
Honkawa Kagura is a night kagura tradition passed down by kagura tayu at shrines in the Honkawa area of Ino Town.
The repertoire includes eighteen varied dances, from masked kagura and ritual dances accompanied by a large taiko drum and copper clappers to acrobatic performances using swords and long swords.
It is performed at the autumn festivals of local shrines each year around November, and is an important folk performing art tied to the region’s history.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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