Kumata Shrine’s Otaue

Festival highlights

A highlight is the sequence in which the floor of the main hall represents a rice paddy and the stages of rice cultivation are enacted in order.

The masked shite, a performer playing an ox, and young women planting rice appear, along with a ji who performs the chants.

Another distinctive feature is the appearance of a doll believed to be the deity of rice, along with chants, gestures, and costumes that evoke the influence of Noh.

This distinctive Otaue brings together the reenactment of farm work and artistic expression.

Kumata Shrine’s Otaue: praying for a good harvest with the main hall floor representing a rice paddy

What to expect

The performance proceeds through “Kuwa,” preparing the field; “Karasuki,” plowing the field with an ox; “Bo,” leveling the field; “Tanemaki,” sowing rice seeds in the nursery bed; and “Uetsuke,” planting the rice.

In the final segment, “Uetsuke,” the shite performs a gesture of feeding rice to a doll with chopsticks.

Afterward, the young women perform the motions of planting rice.

Rather than taking place in an actual paddy, this is a Shinto rite that represents the process of rice cultivation with the floor of the main hall standing in for a rice field.

How to take part

必要人数：出演者は7名、唱えを受け持つ地方は4〜5名

Location and access

Venue and address

Main hall of Kumata Shrine (Kumata Shrine).

Source: 杭全神社について – 杭全神社

Event venue 大阪府 杭全神社拝殿

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

Open in Google Maps

Dates and season

The ceremony will be held on April 13.

The Otaue Shinji is performed before rice cultivation begins, depicting the rice-growing work for that year.

Source: 大阪府神社庁のホームページ

Origins and History of Kumata Shrine’s Otaue

Kumata Shrine’s Otaue has been passed down as a folk performance held to pray for a good harvest, in which the stages of rice cultivation are enacted in advance.

It was selected on March 13, 2008 as an example of the transition of performing arts and of regional characteristics.

Chants and gestures that suggest the influence of Noh, the use of masks in the performance, and the appearance of dolls are recorded as historical and performing-arts characteristics.

Official information

Kumata Shrine’s event information lists the Otaue Shinto rite as an event on April 13.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ cultural property database describes the content of Kumata Shrine’s Otaue, its performers, and how the stages of rice cultivation are enacted.

Kumata Shrine’s Otaue at a Glance

Kumata Shrine’s Otaue is a folk performance in which the floor of the main hall represents a rice paddy, and stages of rice cultivation—including hoeing, plowing, sowing seeds, and planting—are enacted.

The masked shite, a performer playing an ox, young women planting rice, and dolls appear in the performance. Its gestures and chants, which suggest the influence of Noh, are also highlights.

The rite is held on April 13 and embodies a prayer for a good harvest.