A temporary shrine welcoming the kami: a form of prayer passed down in Ichihara
Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- October2nd Sunday
- Location
- Ikoma Yamaguchi Shrine
- Area
- Nara Prefecture・Heguri Town(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h–3 h 30 min · bullet train + connecting train)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
- 2026/11/11
This is a traditional event at Ikoma Yamaguchi Shrine in Ichihara, Heguri, in which a temporary shrine called an ohaki is built. During the autumn grand festival, the divided spirits are carried to the ohaki and return in a ceremonial procession on the evening before the main festival, 6 days later.
About Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki
Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki is an event associated with the autumn grand festival held at Ikoma Yamaguchi Shrine in Ichihara, Heguri.
The divided spirits of the two enshrined kami, the Parent Deity and the Princess Deity, are carried to the ohaki, their yorishiro, and return in a ceremonial procession on the evening before the main festival, 6 days later.
Because a temporary shrine called an ohaki is built, both the day it is made and the event as a whole are called Ohaki-tsuki.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the ohaki, built using wood, bamboo, earth, cedar leaves, and other materials.
7 pieces of wood are driven evenly into a circle about 40 centimeters in diameter, then spread about 60 centimeters apart at the top and set upright in a morning-glory shape. Split bamboo is woven around them and filled with earth.
At the top, a made from lacquer tree wood and a bamboo tube for holding are set up. The structure is covered with cedar leaves, then finished with sand, taboo bamboo, and .
A temporary shrine welcoming the kami: a form of prayer passed down in Ichihara
What to expect
Before the autumn grand festival, an ohaki is built in the garden of the Hondo-ya.
Wood is arranged in a circle to make a morning-glory-shaped frame. Split bamboo is woven around it and filled with earth, and a torii and sakaki are set up.
To finish, the structure is covered with cedar leaves, sand is spread around it, and taboo bamboo and shimenawa mark off the sacred area.
After that, the divided spirits are carried to the ohaki and return in a ceremonial procession on the evening before the main festival, 6 days later.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Ikoma Yamaguchi Shrine, Ichihara, Heguri
Address Ichihara, Heguri
Dates and season
- Season
October2nd Sunday
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Nearby attractions
信貴山
奈良県平群町にある山
Origins and History of Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki
Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki is designated an intangible folk cultural property by Nara Prefecture.
The event’s name comes from building the ohaki, a yorishiro, before the festival. It refers not only to the day the ohaki is built but also to the entire series of events.
The traditional sequence of ceremonies during the autumn grand festival is passed down: the divided spirits are carried to the ohaki and return in a ceremonial procession on the evening before the main festival, 6 days later.
Official information
Heguri Town’s list of designated cultural properties includes Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki as an intangible folk cultural property designated by the prefecture.
The location is Ichihara, Heguri; the owner and administrator are listed as the Ichihara Neighborhood Association.
The specific structure of the festival and the sequence of its ceremonies are described in cultural property materials from Nara Prefecture.
Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki at a Glance
Ichihara no Ohaki-tsuki is an event held during the autumn grand festival at Ikoma Yamaguchi Shrine, when an ohaki is built as a yorishiro to welcome the divided spirits.
A temporary shrine is made from wood, bamboo, earth, and cedar leaves, and a torii, sakaki, sand, taboo bamboo, and shimenawa are arranged.
The divided spirits are carried to the ohaki and return in a ceremonial procession on the evening before the main festival, 6 days later.
This is an intangible folk cultural property designated by the prefecture and passed down in Ichihara, Heguri.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
