An offering of sumo in Uchiko Town, with demons and wrestlers wearing kesho-mawashi ceremonial aprons standing in the ring
Goku-zumo, a festival event at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on October 21 / Every year
- Location
- Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima
- Area
- Ehime Prefecture・Uchiko Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 25 min–1 h 45 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
An offering of sumo at the autumn festival, passed down at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja in Kawanaka, Uchiko Town. Performers dressed as demons, wrestlers wearing kesho-mawashi ceremonial aprons, and a referee appear; the event begins with wooden clappers and an opening announcement.
About Goku-zumo, a festival event at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja
Goku-zumo, part of the festival events at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja, is an autumn-festival offering passed down in Kawanaka, Uchiko Town.
It is designated an intangible folk cultural property by Uchiko Town, and the Kawanaka district serves as its preservation group.
It is held at the shrine every year on October 21, carrying on a tradition tied to the local festival.
Source: 喜多郡一宮三島神社祭礼行事 御供相撲 - 内子町ホームページ / 内子町指定 有形・無形民俗文化財 - 内子町ホームページ
Festival highlights
The highlight is the Goku-zumo, a sumo offering performed on a ring in the .
Performers dressed as demons, wrestlers wearing kesho-mawashi ceremonial aprons, and a referee appear, and the proceedings begin with the organizers’ wooden clappers.
It is distinctive for its unusual format, beginning with the referee’s opening announcement: “Tōzai, tōzai...”
An offering of sumo in Uchiko Town, with demons and wrestlers wearing kesho-mawashi ceremonial aprons standing in the ring
What to expect
At the festival, Goku-zumo is offered on a sumo ring set up in the grounds of Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja.
The organizers strike wooden clappers, and the referee begins proceedings with an opening announcement.
Then performers dressed as demons and wrestlers wearing kesho-mawashi ceremonial aprons appear, and sumo is offered as part of the festival.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja (Kawanaka, Uchiko Town, Kita District, Ehime Prefecture).
Address Kawanaka, Uchiko Town, Kita District, Ehime Prefecture
Dates and season
The autumn festival is held each year on October 21 at Ichinomiya Mishima Shrine in Kita District, where Goku-zumo is dedicated.
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 Ehime Prefecture / Uchiko Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
五十崎凧博物館
愛媛県内子町にある凧の博物館
内子町木蠟資料館上芳我邸
内子町にある資料館
Origins and History of Goku-zumo, a festival event at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja
It is said that this festival began to be offered in its present form around the time the shrine buildings were damaged by fire in Kyōwa 2 (1802).
Goku-zumo has continued to be held in the shrine grounds as part of the autumn festival ever since.
In Showa 57, it was designated an intangible folk cultural property by Uchiko Town, and the Kawanaka district serves as its preservation group.
Official information
The Uchiko Town official website’s “Goku-zumo, a festival event at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja” provides information on its designation, location, and festival overview.
Goku-zumo, a festival event at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja at a Glance
Goku-zumo is a traditional event offered at the autumn festival at Kita-gun Ichinomiya Mishima Jinja in Kawanaka, Uchiko Town.
Performers dressed as demons, wrestlers wearing kesho-mawashi ceremonial aprons, and a referee appear; the event begins with wooden clappers and an opening announcement.
It has been passed down in its present form since around Kyōwa 2 (1802) and is designated an intangible folk cultural property by Uchiko Town.
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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