A Yoshihisa Obon event where lights line the riverbank, carrying on prayers and memories
Hyakuhatto
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- On the Gregorian calendar, August 24 / Every year
- Location
- Omotekawa riverbank and embankment
- Area
- Ehime Prefecture・Toon City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 25 min–1 h 45 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Hyakuhatto, handed down in Yoshihisa, Toon City, is an event in which shitabi torches are arranged along the Omotekawa River to hold memorial services for the dead and for hungry ghosts.
About Hyakuhatto
Hyakuhatto is an Obon event handed down in the Yoshihisa district of Toon City since long ago.
It has been carried on to free people from the 108 worldly desires, console the spirits of those who died in Omotekawa River floods or other water-related accidents, and hold memorial services for hungry ghosts.
It is now held on August 24 on the Gregorian calendar, with shitabi torches arranged along the Omotekawa riverbank and embankment and set alight.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the moment when shitabi torches made from female bamboo are lined up along the embankment and all lit at once at 7 p.m.
Before the war, fires were lit at 108 locations, but today there are said to be about 40.
The event is described as one where children walk around the fires, their voices calling out to the spirits: “Taro, come too! Jiro, come too!”
A Yoshihisa Obon event where lights line the riverbank, carrying on prayers and memories
What to expect
For the event, shitabi torches are made from female bamboo and arranged along the Omotekawa embankment.
Local people gather around dusk, and the fires are lit at 7 p.m.
Afterward, children walk around the fires, calling out to the spirits of the dead. It is said that they also hold memorial services for spirits with no home to return to.
Location and access
- Venue and address
東温市吉久 表川の河川敷／電車・バス：伊予鉄道バス 利楽温泉坊っちゃん劇場前下車 徒歩30分／伊予鉄道 横河原線 見奈良駅下車 徒歩40分／車：国道11号線から県道23号線を南へ、表川橋を渡った堤防
Address Yoshihisa, Toon City, Ehime Prefecture (Omotekawa riverbank)
Dates and season
- Season
On the Gregorian calendar, August 24
- 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 Ehime Prefecture / Toon City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
As places to visit nearby, introductions to Hyakuhatto in Yoshihisa mention Botchan Theater and Riraku Onsen in Lespace City, Sakura no Yu in Kitakata, San直 Asatsuyu Marche, and Sakura Market.
These are all presented as places to stop by near the riverbank venue for Hyakuhatto along the Omotekawa River.
高畠華宵大正ロマン館
愛媛県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Hyakuhatto
Hyakuhatto is an event handed down in the Yoshihisa district since long ago and is designated an intangible folk cultural property by Toon City.
It is said that until around Showa 35 (1960), only children took part. The event was revived in Showa 49 after being suspended for some time.
The number of lighting locations, which was 108 before the war, is now said to be about 40. The main participants have also shifted from children to adults.
Official information
Toon City lists Hyakuhatto as a municipal-designated intangible folk cultural property.
The cultural property was designated on Heisei 16 March 5, and its location is Yoshihisa, Toon City.
The Toon City Board of Education’s Lifelong Learning Division, History and Folklore Museum, is listed as the contact.
Hyakuhatto at a Glance
Hyakuhatto in Yoshihisa, Toon City, is a municipal-designated intangible folk cultural property held during Obon.
Shitabi torches made from female bamboo are arranged along the Omotekawa embankment and lit at 7 p.m.
The event is held to free people from the 108 worldly desires and to hold memorial services for victims of water-related accidents and hungry ghosts. It is also said that children walk around the fires and call to the spirits.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
