Ikeda no Shibamatsuri

Festival highlights

Highlights include mock plowing on the 2nd day of the New Year and the boar hunt on the 3rd.

During mock plowing, a participant playing an ox tills the soil with a hoe-shaped branch, throws the turned soil toward spectators, and scatters rice and sakaki leaves as seeds and seedlings.

During the boar hunt, participants imitate shooting a straw boar with a handmade bow as someone voices the role of a dog; finally, the boar and bow and arrows are burned.

A folk event in Ikeda that celebrates the New Year with shiba branches, mock plowing, and a boar hunt

What to expect

The festival begins with preparations to welcome the shiba at the end of the year. On the 2nd day of the New Year, mock plowing follows the first combing, first shaving, and first singing of the year.

The event then proceeds with making hana, raising needles, a communal meal, the first game of nanko, and the first plowing.

On the 3rd, participants climb from Hatayama Shrine into the mountains for a boar hunt. On the 4th, they visit several shiba sites and Takao Shrine. The series of events concludes on the 20th day of the New Year, when the shiba is put away.

How to take part

At the festival, shinshoku, ujiko, and local residents take charge of the events, while people also watch the rituals at various locations.

During the rice-field preparation, there is a scene in which soil is thrown at spectators; during the boar hunt, participants also eat shitogi.

However, whether general visitors can take on a role and participate in the rituals should be confirmed in the information provided at the time of the event.

Location and access

Venue and address

The event takes place at designated ritual sites around Ikeda, Kinko Town, centered on Hatayama Shrine.

On the 2nd day of the New Year, the event is held at Tategami Shrine in the Yasumizu district; on the 3rd, participants travel from Hatayama Shrine to Kono-zaka.

By car

Head for the area around Hatayama Shrine in Ikeda District.

Event venue 鹿児島県錦江町 旗山神社を中心とする池田地区の所定の斎場

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

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Dates and season

Every year,柴 is brought down from the mountain on December 30 at the end of the year, and the main rituals take place from January 2 to 4.

On the 2nd, there is rice-field preparation; on the 3rd, a boar hunt; and on the 4th, the procession visits Ichino Shiba, Nino Shiba, Sanno Shiba, and Takao Jinja.

On the twentieth day of the New Year, the柴 at Hatayama Jinja is removed and placed in the hollow of a great camphor tree, bringing the festival to a close.

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Tips for your visit

During mock plowing, soil may be thrown toward spectators, so be prepared for the possibility of getting your clothes or belongings dirty.

The boar hunt includes an enactment using a bow and arrows, followed by a scene in which the boar and bow and arrows are burned.

As the event involves visiting ritual sites, please watch without obstructing the priests or parishioners, and take care around fire and soil.

Nearby attractions

South of Kinko Town is Hanaze, a scenic spot known for its riverbed of welded tuff.

The town is also home to areas of primeval laurel forest.

The locations within the town are shown in relation to Ikeda District, the center of the festival, but distances from the venue, walking times, and the availability of individual facilities need to be verified.

Origins and History of Ikeda no Shibamatsuri

Ikeda no Shibamatsuri is a New Year event passed down around Hatayama Shrine. It preserves the custom of welcoming branches and leaves of sakaki as the deity of the shiba and performing rituals while visiting different locations.

The various acts, including mock plowing and the boar hunt, are performed as rites of foretelling good fortune by celebrating farming and hunting in advance.

In 2020, it was selected by the national government as an “Intangible Folk Cultural Property for Which Measures Such as Documentation Should Be Taken.”

Official information

The National Cultural Property Database provides information on the name of Ikeda no Shibamatsuri, its traditional location, event details, dates open to the public, and its designation as a cultural property.

“Ikeda no Shibamatsuri Preservation Society” is listed as the preservation organization.

Ikeda no Shibamatsuri at a Glance

Ikeda no Shibamatsuri is a traditional New Year folk event held around Hatayama Shrine in Ikeda, Kinko Town, where branches are set up to celebrate farming and hunting.

Distinctive acts continue, including throwing soil during mock plowing and a boar hunt in which a straw boar is shot.

As the event visits several locations from the end of the year through the New Year period, check the event locations and times, and take care around fire and soil when viewing.