Kosuge Hashiramatsu Ritual

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the contest in which young men split into upper and lower groups, carry the Matsumiko, and race to the Hashiramatsu to see who can light the obana at the top first.

The sound of the drums signals the start. Once the fire catches, the Matsumiko is brought down and the Hashiramatsu is toppled.

It is said that if the upper group wins, there will be peace throughout the land, while a win by the lower group brings a bountiful harvest, tying the outcome to the prayers.

There is also a tradition of spectators taking home the toppled obana and matsusakaki branches.

A festival in Iiyama where fire atop 2 Hashiramatsu foretells abundance and peace

What to expect

On the afternoon of the previous day, the Matsumiko performs misogi at a waterfall, then spends the night at the inner shrine of Kosuge Shrine from evening onward.

For the eve-of-festival observances, a procession led by Sarutahiko and accompanied by a lion and lanterns heads to the village shrine. On the day of the festival, events proceed with the Higurayaki ritual, the annual festival procession, the village shrine procession, and the Hashiramatsu procession.

Finally, the lighting contest begins at the signal of the matsu drum, and the event ends when the mikoshi returns to the village shrine.

How to take part

The event is led by local participants, including young men from the Kosuge area, Matsumiko, and Matsudaiko performers.

一般の来訪者は、柱松行事を見守る見物人として参加できます。

There is a tradition of spectators competing to take home obana and matsusakaki branches from the fallen hashiramatsu.

Source: 飯山市公式サイト | 国指定文化財

Location and access

Venue and address

The Kosuge district in Mizuho, Iiyama City.

The event takes place mainly in the open space in front of the former Daishoin lecture hall, in the center of the district.

Source: 小菅の柱松行事 - 信州の伝承文化 - 信州の文化財 - 八十二文化財団

Event venue 長野県飯山市 旧大聖院講堂前の広場

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

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Dates and season

The event is held once every 3 years, on the nearest Saturday and Sunday after July 14.

Another cultural property guide describes the hashiramatsu event as taking place on a weekend after July 15, from around 3 p.m. to around 5 p.m.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

During the Hashiramatsu ritual, young men run at the sound of a drum, climbing up and down the Hashiramatsu, lighting it, and then toppling it.

When watching, please keep the festival grounds and procession routes clear so as not to disrupt the event.

There is a tradition of taking home obana and matsusakaki branches, but it is important to be considerate and take turns with others.

Nearby attractions

Kosuge Shrine, the venue for the event, is in the Kosuge district of Mizuho, Iiyama City.

On the mountainside of Mount Kosuge stands the inner shrine main hall and attached palace of Kosuge Shrine, an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is introduced as a place that preserves the region’s Shugendo culture.

If you plan to visit the inner shrine as part of your festival trip, bear in mind that it is located on a mountainside and plan a manageable itinerary.

Temples and shrinesIiyama City

小菅神社 (飯山市)

飯山市にある神社

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：user:KMR / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Facility data source

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 Kosuge Hashiramatsu Ritual

The origins of the event are unclear, but it is said to have been held as early as the 16th century.

The Hachijuni Cultural Foundation explains that it was held in the medieval period to subdue demons and evil spirits, and took its present form in the early modern period.

It used to be held every year on July 15, but is now held every 3 years.

It is regarded as one of the Hashiramatsu rituals that best preserves forms associated with Shugendo.

Official information

Basic information about the cultural property can be found in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties.

The Iiyama City official website introduces the Kosuge Hashiramatsu Ritual as a nationally designated cultural property in the city.

For information about when the event is held and local traditional culture, you can also refer to the Iiyama City official website and the Hachijuni Cultural Foundation’s publications.

Kosuge Hashiramatsu Ritual at a Glance

The Kosuge Hashiramatsu Ritual is a traditional event held as the annual festival of Kosuge Shrine in Mizuho, Iiyama City, praying for a bountiful harvest and peace throughout the land.

At 2 Hashiramatsu, young men carry the Matsumiko as they run, competing to light the obana and topple the Hashiramatsu first.

The event’s sequence—from the eve-of-festival observances and processions to the fire ritual and Hashiramatsu ritual—and the way the local community supports the festival are its defining features.