Itabashi no Ta-asobi

Festival highlights

A drum is placed on a mogari in the courtyard in front of the shrine building, and farming scenes are performed on a stage representing a rice paddy.

Distinctive scenes include striking the field with a hoe fitted with a round rice cake, and a masked performer playing an ox crawling to puddle the field.

Taroji, wearing an old man’s mask, and Yasume, wearing a woman’s mask, appear to pray in advance for a good harvest, and lion and horse figures are also made.

The 2026 Tokumaru program also included sowing seeds, lifting the saotome maidens into the air, and stacking rice sheaves.

Source: 国指定重要無形民俗文化財「田遊び」が徳丸北野神社と赤塚諏訪神社で開催されます - PR TIMES｜インサイド

Ta-asobi, a prayer for a good harvest that depicts a year of rice cultivation with drums and recitations

What to expect

During the event, O-inamoto, Ko-inamoto, and parishioners take turns reciting lines as they perform the farming tasks in sequence, from preparing the rice seedbeds to harvesting.

The drum is set on a mogari representing a rice paddy, and performances using tools and masks continue, including striking the field with a hoe and having an ox performer puddle the field.

At Tokumaru, the program includes sowing seeds, lifting the saotome maidens into the air, and stacking rice sheaves; at Akatsuka, information is provided on a mikoshi procession, lion dance, tengu dance, and a bonfire ritual.

How to take part

Visitors can watch the event.

Location and access

Venue and address

The events take place in the precincts of Tokumaru Kitano Shrine (6-34-3 Tokumaru, Itabashi City) and Akatsuka Suwa Shrine (11-1 Daimon, Itabashi City).

Train and bus

Tokumaru Kitano Shrine is a 20-minute walk from Tobu-Nerima Station on the Tobu Tojo Line and a 20-minute walk from Takashimadaira Station on the Toei Mita Line.

It is a 5-minute walk from the “Kobai Elementary School” bus stop served by Kokusai Kogyo Bus.

Parking

Tokumaru Kitano Shrine has parking for 10 vehicles.

Source: 徳丸北野神社｜見る｜ぶらり、いたばし 板橋区観光協会

Address 6-34-3 Tokumaru, Itabashi City, Tokyo; 11-1 Daimon, Itabashi City, Tokyo

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

In 2026, Tokumaru Kitano Shrine’s Ta-asobi was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on February 11 (Wednesday, a public holiday) and last about 2 hours, while Akatsuka Suwa Shrine’s Ta-asobi was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on February 13 (Friday) and last about 2 hours.

Both events are held at night in the shrine precincts.

The venues and start times differ between Tokumaru and Akatsuka, so please check which location you plan to visit before setting out.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

As both events take place at night in the shrine precincts, it is a good idea to arrive with plenty of time before the start.

The dates differ between Tokumaru and Akatsuka, and some aspects of the programs differ as well.

Tokumaru Kitano Shrine is listed as having parking for 10 vehicles, so if you are considering coming by car, please take the limited parking capacity into account.

When watching in the shrine precincts, please take care not to interfere with the rites or performances.

Origins and History of Itabashi no Ta-asobi

Tokumaru Kitano Shrine’s Ta-asobi is said to have begun when the spirit of Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto was enshrined there in 995, the first year of the Chotoku era, and the “Ta Asobi no Matsuri” was held.

Records from the Edo period describe Akatsuka’s Ta-asobi as having continued since ancient times and as a festival that has retained its old form.

The gestures, recitations, and flute performance have been passed down orally, and are said to have been transmitted in both areas for more than 1000 years.

In 1976, “Itabashi no Ta-asobi” was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

Official information

Itabashi no Ta-asobi is listed as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ database of nationally designated cultural properties.

Itabashi City’s official education newsletter provides information on the dates, origins, and ties to the local community of the events at Tokumaru Kitano Shrine and Akatsuka Suwa Shrine.

The 2026 program and schedule can be confirmed in an information notice featuring details from the Cultural Properties Section of the Lifelong Learning Division, Itabashi City.

Itabashi no Ta-asobi at a Glance

Itabashi no Ta-asobi is a traditional event in which a mogari with a drum set on it represents a rice paddy, and a year of rice cultivation is depicted through recitations and gestures.

The event is held at both Tokumaru Kitano Shrine and Akatsuka Suwa Shrine, and features a variety of scenes, including sowing seeds, puddling the fields, lion dances, and a tengu dance.

It has been passed down locally as an event to pray for a good harvest and the healthy growth of children, and is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.