A Yamaga Gion festival entrusting wishes to puppies and gourds
Inuko Hyotan Festival
The 2026 edition of Inuko Hyotan Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/06/11 〜 2026/06/15Ended
- Season / frequency
- Around June 15 each year / Every year
- Location
- Omiya Shrine (Yasaka Shrine, a subsidiary shrine on the grounds)
- Area
- Kumamoto Prefecture・Yamaga City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 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.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A Gion festival at Yasaka Shrine in Yamaga City, where amulets shaped like puppies holding gourds are distributed. The festival preserves a tradition of warding off epidemics and also features a picture-story show and .
About Inuko Hyotan Festival
Inuko Hyotan Festival is held at Yasaka Shrine, a subsidiary shrine of Omiya Shrine, in Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
Each year on June 15, handmade rice-flour amulets shaped like a puppy holding a gourd, called Inuko Hyotan, are distributed.
The amulets carry wishes for good health and protection from misfortune. In Yamaga, this day is known as “Hatsu Katabira,” and there is also a tradition of beginning to wear around this time.
Source: 犬子ひょうたん祭 - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
The main highlight is a simple amulet shaped like a puppy holding a gourd.
Inuko Hyotan amulets are made from handmade rice-flour dough and are cherished as offerings expressing wishes for good health.
The also host a picture-story show about the festival’s origins and kagura, allowing visitors to enjoy both traditions associated with the faith and local performing arts.
A Yamaga Gion festival entrusting wishes to puppies and gourds
What to expect
Visitors go to Yasaka Shrine to receive Inuko Hyotan amulets.
On the festival day, a picture-story show based on the origins of Inuko Hyotan is performed on the shrine grounds, and kagura is also dedicated.
In Yamaga, the day of the festival is called “Hatsu Katabira,” so young women and children visiting in yukata are also part of the festival’s characteristic scene.
Source: 6月15日 犬子ひょうたん祭 | 山鹿温泉観光協会お知らせ
How to take part
You can visit the shrine grounds as a worshipper, receive an Inuko hyōtan charm, and watch kamishibai picture-story shows and kagura.
The festival is held as a shrine observance and is visited not only by local people but also by worshippers from elsewhere.
No information could be found about general applications to perform at events or make offerings, so it is best to think of this as a festival to enjoy mainly by watching and worshipping.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Omiya Shrine (196 Yamaga, Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture).
- Train and bus
About a 5-minute walk from the Nakamura, Silver Human Resources Center Entrance, or Yamaga Post Office stops on Kyushu Sanko Bus.
- By car
About 15 minutes from the Ueki or Kikusu ICs on the Kyushu Expressway.
- Parking
The parking lot in front of the gate and the temporary parking lot at Omiya Park are available.
On June 15, the temporary parking lot at the Yamaga Elementary School sports ground is also available, but it closes in rainy weather.
Source: 犬子ひょうたん(熊本県)の詳細データ｜ウォーカープラス
Address 196 Yamaga, Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the festival runs from June 11 (Thursday) through June 15 (Monday), and is open until 8 p.m. on the final day, the 15th.
Inuko Hyotan amulets are distributed during the festival.
The listed hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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 Kumamoto Prefecture / Yamaga City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The number of Inuko hyōtan charms prepared is limited, so it is best to visit early if you hope to receive one.
The temporary parking area at Yamaga Elementary School’s grounds, available on June 15, closes in rainy weather.
The festival dates and parking conditions may change, so be sure to check the situation on the day as well.
Nearby attractions
山鹿灯籠民芸館
熊本県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
熊本県立装飾古墳館
熊本県山鹿市鹿央町にある考古学博物館
Origins and History of Inuko Hyotan Festival
The festival is said to have begun in the late Edo period.
According to local tradition, during an epidemic, the deity of Gion instructed people to move Yasaka Shrine to its present site. A puppy followed the and disappeared after the shrine was moved.
After the epidemic subsided, people made puppies together with gourds out of rice flour and turned them into amulets to ward off epidemics. This is said to be the origin of Inuko Hyotan.
Official information
Omiya Shrine’s official website provides information about the Gion Festival, the annual festival of Yasaka Shrine, as well as offerings, prayers and purification rites, and access.
Omiya Shrine’s phone number is also listed as a contact number.
Source: oomiya.pigboat.jp
Inuko Hyotan Festival at a Glance
Inuko Hyotan Festival is a community-rooted Gion festival at Yasaka Shrine in Yamaga City, where people pray for good health and protection from misfortune.
Highlights include handmade rice-flour amulets shaped like puppies holding gourds, a picture-story show about the festival’s origins, and kagura.
In 2026, the festival runs from June 11 through the 15th, at Omiya Shrine.
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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