Kure Hachimangu Shrine’s Omikoku Festival

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the Omikoku procession, held from late night until dawn.

A giant torch about 6 meters long advances, scattering sparks, while small torches light the way around it.

Drums and calls from the youth association enliven the procession, and the village drums are sometimes brought together in a “clashing-drum” performance.

Before dawn, the Omikoku is carried into the shrine building together with the giant torch.

A traditional shrine festival as giant torches and the Omikoku procession make their way through Kure at night

What to expect

In preparation for the festival, the toya and helpers prepare the Omikoku and large and small torches.

At midnight, the giant torch is lit, and the Omikoku procession sets out from Hodo, following the old roads on its way to Kure Hachimangu Shrine.

Upon arrival, rice is mixed with koji and water to make overnight sake, which is offered before the shrine altar.

The rice cakes are distributed to those involved.

How to take part

The Omikoku offering is prepared with help from people in the surrounding area, relatives, and acquaintances, with the local toya taking the lead.

Roles in the procession include saikyōnin, tōnin, Shinto priests, and members of the youth association who carry the drums.

Source: 令和8年 久礼八幡宮秋季例大祭のお知らせ - なかとさ観光協会

Location and access

Venue and address

Kure Hachimangu Shrine (Kure, Nakatosa Town, Takaoka District, Kochi Prefecture).

The Omikoku procession sets out from Hodo and heads to Kure Hachimangu Shrine.

By car

A notice advises that roads will be closed to vehicles during the 2026 autumn festival period.

Address Kure, Nakatosa Town, Takaoka District, Kochi Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

The 2026 event information said that the Omikoku Festival would be held from late night on September 23 until the early hours of September 24.

The annual event spans 2 days, from day 13 of lunar month 8 to the 14th, with the Omikoku procession taking place from late night on the 13th until dawn on the 14th.

The giant torch is lit, the procession makes its offering, and overnight sake made with rice and koji is offered from night through early morning.

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Tips for your visit

The procession takes place from late night until dawn, making its way through Kure with giant and small torches and drums.

Those carrying the Omikoku, known as saikyōnin, must observe taboos: they must not speak, switch shoulders, or set it down on the ground.

Please keep a safe distance from the fire and bearers, and do not obstruct the procession or those making offerings.

Please also note that roads will be closed to vehicles during the 2026 autumn festival period.

Origins and History of Kure Hachimangu Shrine’s Omikoku Festival

The origins of the Omikoku Festival are unclear, but descriptions of the festival and its order of events appear in the 1711 copy of Kure Za Shō Hachimangū O-sai Gyōjiki and in Hachimangū Goshashiki.

This suggests that the festival had taken on a form resembling its present-day one by around the mid-Edo period.

Today, the Kure Hachimangu Omikoku Festival Tradition Association handles everything from preparations to the event itself, with toya households taking turns each year as offering representatives.

On March 24, 2026, it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

Official information

The 2026 event information can be found in “Notice of the 2026 Kure Hachimangu Autumn Grand Festival,” posted by the Nakatosa Tourism Association.

The festival’s origins, events, and status as a cultural property are listed in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties.

The Kure Hachimangu Omikoku Festival Tradition Association works to preserve the tradition.

Kure Hachimangu Shrine’s Omikoku Festival at a Glance

Kure Hachimangu Shrine’s Omikoku Festival is an autumn shrine festival passed down in the Kure district, where Omikoku is offered and prayers are made for a bountiful harvest.

In the midnight Omikoku procession, the sacred food is carried to Hachimangu Shrine to the sound of drums and guided by large and small torches.

This event carries on traditional community roles and old records, and was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2026.