Kamikawato Mushiokuri Odori

Festival highlights

A highlight is the singing and dancing with Sanemori dolls.

After the dance is performed as an offering in the shrine grounds, the dancers parade through the center of the district.

At the end, the dolls are sent down the river from a bridge, expressing the event’s purpose of sending away pests and praying for a bountiful harvest.

A distinctive feature is that the dance, procession, doll, and sending it off into the river all form one continuous sequence.

A traditional event in Kitahiroshima Town that sends away pests through song and dance and prays for a bountiful harvest

What to expect

The event begins with songs and dances featuring Sanemori dolls.

The dance is then performed as an offering in the shrine grounds, followed by a procession toward and through the center of the district.

The procession moves to a bridge, where the dolls are sent down the river to represent sending away pests.

This event offers a chance to witness rice-farming rituals through a sequence of dance and movement.

Location and access

Venue and address

After the dance is performed as an offering in the shrine grounds, the procession moves through the center of Kamikawato District, then sends the dolls down the river from a bridge.

Located in Kitahiroshima Town, Yamagata District, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Address Kitahiroshima Town, Yamagata District, Hiroshima Prefecture

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Dates and season

Season

Every year June first Sunday

Frequency

Every year

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The event proceeds from an offering in the shrine grounds to a procession through the district and activities on a bridge. When watching, be sure to stand where you will not obstruct the procession or local activities.

Near the river, watch your footing and be aware of your surroundings.

Follow local guidance on the event’s progress and where you may watch, and do not approach the Sanemori dolls or offering area unnecessarily.

Origins and History of Kamikawato Mushiokuri Odori

This event preserves the insect-sending ritual, which was essential to rice farming, for the present day.

It is considered one of the few events once held throughout the Kitahiroshima area that has been preserved and passed down.

In Kamikawato, the custom has been passed down through the Sanemori dolls, songs and dances, the procession through the district, and the act of sending the dolls down the river.

It became a town-designated intangible folk cultural property in Heisei 31 (2019) March 18.

Official information

The “Intangible Folk Cultural Properties” page on the Kitahiroshima Town website introduces the Kamikawato Mushiokuri Odori, its usual time of year, and the date of its designation.

The page also describes the dance featuring Sanemori dolls, the procession through the district, and the custom of sending the dolls down the river.

For information about the 2026 event and details on the day, check the latest announcements from Kitahiroshima Town.

Kamikawato Mushiokuri Odori at a Glance

The Kamikawato Mushiokuri Odori is a traditional event in Kitahiroshima Town that drives away insects that damage rice plants and prays for a bountiful harvest.

It features Sanemori dolls, songs, and dance, and proceeds from an offering at the shrine to a procession through the district and the sending of dolls down the river.

A town-designated intangible folk cultural property that preserves the insect-sending ritual to the present day, it is held on the first Sunday of June each year.