Kokake’s Shoki-sama

Festival highlights

A highlight is seeing one male and one female Shoki-sama enshrined at the settlement’s boundary.

The male deity is distinctive for holding a kiseru pipe in his mouth; the figure is covered with cedar leaves and wears a straw skirt.

During the change of clothes, they are dressed in new cedar-leaf garments, and you can see the community tending to the deities that protect the area.

Source: 災いを防ぐ ショウキサマ | 秋田県立博物館

Male and female Shoki-sama protecting the settlement, and their cedar-leaf change of clothes

What to expect

For the event, the male and female Shoki-sama are brought out of their shrine and dressed in garments made from cedar leaves.

Afterward, young men carry Shoki-sama around the settlement, and each household offers sacred sake and dumplings.

Buddhist prayers and hayashi music are also performed. Tradition also says that cedar leaves removed from Shoki-sama’s body are placed in doorways to ward off evil and block the wind.

How to take part

The change of clothes for Shoki-sama and the procession through the settlement are carried out by local young men and residents.

No information has been provided about visitors joining the ritual or registering for general participation.

If you watch the event, please remember that it takes place where residents live and go about their daily lives, and observe quietly so as not to disturb residents or the hono offerings.

Location and access

Venue and address

It takes place in the Kokake district of Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture.

Shoki-sama is enshrined near the entrance to the settlement.

Train and bus

Futatsui Station on the JR Ōu Main Line is available.

二ツ井町内では田代線、種梅線、天神線のコミュニティバスが案内されています。

By car

From Futatsui-Shirakami IC on the Akita Expressway, head toward Futatsui-machi.

It is about 5 minutes from the IC to Futatsui-machi, according to the information provided.

Source: 能代市イベントカレンダー - 能代市 / アクセス – 特定非営利活動法人二ツ井町観光協会

Address Kokake, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City, Akita Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 Event Information (the listed dates have passed)

For 2026, the announced event in the Kokake district was the changing of Shoki-sama’s clothes, Buddhist prayers, and hayashi music on September 6 (Sunday).

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The event takes place within the settlement of the Kokake district, so watch from a spot that does not obstruct Shoki-sama or the residents.

Do not approach or touch the shrine, figures, or offerings, and be considerate of those around you if taking photographs.

For travel and parking within the settlement, follow local guidance and residents’ instructions.

Nearby attractions

Tourist spots in the Futatsui area include Kimimachi-zaka Prefectural Natural Park, Mount Nanakura, Ichozan Shrine, Takaiwa Shrine, and Nanakura Shrine.

Other attractions listed under “History, Shrines and Temples,” the same tourism category as Kokake’s Shoki-sama, include Yoroiji Shrine, Kabuto Shrine, and Iwaseki Shrine.

If you plan to visit multiple places, check the location and opening status of each facility separately.

Source: 観光スポット – 特定非営利活動法人二ツ井町観光協会

Museums and art museumsNoshiro City

井坂記念館

秋田県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。

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写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)

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Museums and art museumsNoshiro City

能代市子ども館

秋田県能代市にある教育施設

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写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)

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Museums and art museumsNoshiro City

金勇

秋田県能代市にある観光交流施設

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写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)

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Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Kokake’s Shoki-sama

Kokake’s Shoki-sama has long been enshrined at the settlement’s boundary as one of its doll-shaped dosojin.

The figures are associated with the belief that they prevent evil spirits and epidemics from entering, and the event of changing the clothes of the male and female Shoki-sama continues today.

In 2017, the Shoki-sama figures themselves were remade for the first time in about 60 years, and efforts to pass the event on within the community have also been reported.

Official information

Event information is available from the Futatsui-machi Tourism Association under “Traditional Event: Kokake Shoki-sama.”

Noshiro City’s event calendar also lists it as an event held on the first Sunday of September.

You can check the cultural property designation status in Noshiro City’s list of cultural properties.

Kokake’s Shoki-sama at a Glance

Kokake’s Shoki-sama is a traditional event centered on male and female doll-shaped dosojin that protect the settlement of Kokake, Futatsui-machi, Noshiro City.

Their cedar-leaf garments are changed, and as they are carried around the settlement with Buddhist prayers and hayashi music, the area’s beliefs and way of life come into view.

It is usually held on the first Sunday of September. The announced date for 2026 was September 6.