A medieval performing art from Oe, passed down through the storytelling of three performers and kotsuzumi
Kowaka-mai
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on January 20 / Every year
- Location
- Oe Tenman Shrine
- Area
- Fukuoka Prefecture・Miyama City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 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
Kowaka-mai, passed down in Oe, Setaka-machi, Miyama, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a traditional performing art in which the tayu, shite, and waki chant a story as the performance unfolds to kotsuzumi accompaniment.
About Kowaka-mai
Kowaka-mai is a form of kusemai storytelling dance passed down since the Muromachi period. This folk performing art has been preserved in Oe, Setaka-machi, Miyama, Fukuoka Prefecture.
It is now performed as an offering at Oe Tenman Shrine and is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Centering on chanting, the tayu, shite, and waki tell a story and present a tradition safeguarded by the local community.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース / 幸若舞｜文化デジタルライブラリー
Festival highlights
A highlight is the scene in which performers wearing tate-eboshi hats and suo robes hold fans and chant the long lines in different styles.
The three performers—tayu, shite, and waki—stand in a row, moving back and forth and advancing and retreating across the stage.
Calls and drum beats from the kotsuzumi performer support the rhythm and pacing of the storytelling, and the vigorous movements that accompany the narration are also a highlight.
A medieval performing art from Oe, passed down through the storytelling of three performers and kotsuzumi
What to expect
At Oe Tenman Shrine, the Kowaka-mai Preservation Society performs pieces that have been passed down.
In the performances, the tayu, shite, and waki tell a story, blending plain narration, song-like chanting, and fast-paced storytelling.
A kotsuzumi performer supports the performance from behind with calls and drum beats. Performances are also given by the adult, youth, and elementary school divisions.
Source: みやま まち歩き
Location and access
- Venue and address
Oe Tenman Shrine (1488 Oe, Setaka-machi, Miyama)
- Train and bus
About a 25-minute walk from Setaka Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line.
- By car
About 5 minutes by car from the Miyama-Yanagawa IC on the Kyushu Expressway.
- Parking
Parking is available.
Address 1488 Oe, Setaka-machi, Miyama
Dates and season
Kowaka-mai is dedicated at Oe Tenman Shrine every year on January 20.
The event is listed as starting at 11:30 a.m.
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 Fukuoka Prefecture / Miyama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions listed in Kowaka-mai guides include Zenkōji Temple, Shimizu Park, and the Kanakuri archaeological site.
These are facilities and historic sites introduced as recommended places to visit around Oe Tenman Shrine.
Please check each facility’s information for its operating status and conditions of use on the day of the festival.
Origins and History of Kowaka-mai
Kowaka-mai is a medieval performing art that flourished during the Muromachi period. It is said to have been brought to Chikugo in Tensho 10 by someone from the Daizu lineage in Kyoto.
In Oe, 42 script-transmission texts have been passed down, including “Nihongi,” “Ataka,” and “Takedachi.”
While Kowaka-mai disappeared in many places after the Meiji Restoration, it continued to be passed down in Oe and was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1976.
Official information
Basic information about its cultural property designation can be found in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties.
For inquiries about performances and preservation, the Miyama City Board of Education’s Municipal History and Cultural Properties Section is listed as the contact.
The phone number is 0944-32-9183.
Kowaka-mai at a Glance
Kowaka-mai is a folk performing art passed down in Oe, Setaka-machi, Miyama, and is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
At Oe Tenman Shrine, a performance featuring chanting and storytelling by three performers, accompanied by kotsuzumi, is presented as an offering.
Considered a performing art dating back to the Muromachi period, Kowaka-mai features traditional pieces performed each year on January 20.
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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