Thirty-three bamboo tubes entrusted with Kanra’s harvest and skies for the year
Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse Jinja
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- A Sunday around the seventh day of the New Year, near the Festival of Seven Herbs / Every year
- Location
- Village shrine in Nasu
- Area
- Gunma Prefecture・Kanra Town(From Tokyo: approx. 50 min–1 h · bullet train)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.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- No spectators allowed
- Last updated
- 2026/11/12
A passed down in Akihatana Nasu, Kanra Town, in which rice porridge and bamboo tubes are used to divine the year’s crops and weather. It is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the town and is now held at the village shrine in Nasu.
About Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse Jinja
The Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by the town, passed down in Nasu, Akihatana, Kanra Town.
It has traditionally been held on a Sunday around the seventh day of the New Year, near the Festival of Seven Herbs.
It was formerly held at Inabuse Jinja, but to avoid accidents in the snow, it is now held at the village shrine in Nasu, with the chief priest, assistants, festival organizers, representatives, the district head, and others in attendance.
Festival highlights
The highlight is how 33 tubes made from bamboo are stood in the porridge, and the results are used to divine the year’s harvest and weather.
The bamboo is cut to a set length, woven into a mat with hemp rope, and then placed in the rice porridge.
After it is cooked, the tubes are removed and split to check how many rice grains are inside. This is used to divine 33 items: 31 crops and 2 weather-related matters.
Thirty-three bamboo tubes entrusted with Kanra’s harvest and skies for the year
What to expect
First, bamboo is cut to make 33 tubes, which are woven into a mat with hemp rope.
The tubes are stood in the porridge, while the chief priest recites and repeats purification rites until the porridge is cooked.
Once cooked, the bamboo tubes are removed and split one by one. The amount of rice grains inside is used to divine the prospects for crops and the weather.
How to take part
Viewing not permitted
Location and access
- Venue and address
Village shrine in Nasu / Nasu, Akihatana, Kanra Town
見学：不可
Address Nasu, Akihatana, Kanra Town
Dates and season
- Season
A Sunday around the seventh day of the New Year, near the Festival of Seven Herbs
- 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 Gunma Prefecture / Kanra Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Viewing is not permitted at this shinji.
When visiting the area around the venue, please be considerate of local festivals and the .
Nearby attractions
楽山園
群馬県甘楽町にある大名庭園
写真：photo: Qurren ( talk ) Taken with Canon IXY 10S (Digital IXUS 210) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·Origins and History of Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse Jinja
The Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse Jinja was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Kanra Town in Showa 42May 5.
It was formerly held at Inabuse Jinja, but to avoid accidents in the snow, it is now held at the village shrine in Nasu.
The shinji preserves a method of divining the year’s crops and weather based on how many rice grains enter the bamboo tubes.
Official information
Kanra Town Official Website, “Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse Jinja”
Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse Jinja at a Glance
The Otsutsugayu Shinji at Inabuse Jinja is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by the town, passed down in Nasu, Akihatana, Kanra Town.
They make 33 tubes from bamboo and stand them in the porridge. Once cooked, the amount of rice grains inside the tubes is used to divine the prospects for 31 crops and the weather for 2 items.
It was formerly held at Inabuse Jinja and is now held at the village shrine in Nasu to avoid accidents in the snow, but viewing is not permitted.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/12
