Kutsumi’s rice-planting shinji, linking two shrines in prayers for a good harvest
Kutsumi Otaue Festival
The 2026 edition of Kutsumi Otaue Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/05/05Ended
- Season / frequency
- It is held annually on May 5. Preparations and take place the day before, on May 4. / 1 time per year
- Location
- Kutsumi Public Hall, Shiroki-hiko Shrine, Kuzumi Shrine, and the procession route through the Kutsumi district
- Area
- Fukui Prefecture・Tsuruga City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 50 min–3 h 20 min · bullet 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This spring festival is jointly held by two shrines, the male and female shrines, in Kutsumi, Tsuruga City. Through the procession, the Dance of the King, and , prayers are offered for the seedlings to grow and for a good harvest.
About Kutsumi Otaue Festival
The Kutsumi Otaue Festival is a spring festival jointly held by Shiroki-hiko Shrine and Kuzumi Shrine, the ujigami shrines of Kutsumi in Tsuruga City.
Before rice planting begins, prayers are offered for the seedlings to grow and for a good rice harvest.
The two shrines, known as the male and female shrines, take part in the festival, which preserves local farming customs and ritual performing arts.
It is an intangible folk cultural property designated by Fukui Prefecture.
Source: 文化財詳細 | 福井県文化財ページ
Festival highlights
A highlight is the procession, dressed in traditional attire and carrying , heading to the shrines to the sound of flutes, , music, and calls.
At the , the Dance of the King, shishimai, and rice-planting songs are presented.
Performances also portray rice planting using an eburi farming tool and cedar branches.
At the end of the festival, the gohei are brought together, and there is a custom of taking home a piece of gohei paper.
Kutsumi’s rice-planting shinji, linking two shrines in prayers for a good harvest
What to expect
Preparations for the festival take place on May 4, when the horse-ground decorations, gohei, ohake, and other items are made. In the evening, shinji are held at Kutsumi Public Hall.
At noon on May 5, the processions of the male and female shrines depart from Kutsumi Public Hall and proceed to their respective shrines.
After presenting ritual performing arts at the shrines, the procession gathers at Babasaki, where the gohei are brought together to conclude the festival.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kutsumi Public Hall, Shiroki-hiko Shrine, Kuzumi Shrine, and the procession route through the Kutsumi district.
The address is Kutsumi, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture.
- Train and bus
Transfer to a bus at Tsuruga Station and get off at “Kutsumi.”
The walk to Kuzumi Shrine is listed as 5 minutes.
- By car
About 12 minutes from Tsuruga-minami IC or Tsuruga IC.
- Parking
No parking is available.
Source: 久豆彌神社の由緒と御祭神～沓見の女神【敦賀市】 | 福井県伝承浪漫
Address Kutsumi, Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 festival information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, it was held on May 5.
Usually, preparations and the eve-of-festival shinji take place on May 4. At noon on May 5, the procession sets out, and after offerings at the shrine, the festival concludes at the horse grounds around 5 p.m.
Source: 伝統衣装姿の住民、二つの神社練る 敦賀市沓見で「沓見御田植祭」 | FUKUI若狭ONEweb 福井「若狭路」の観光サイト
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 Fukui Prefecture / Tsuruga City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
みなとつるが山車会館
福井県敦賀市にある博物館
人道の港敦賀ムゼウム
福井県敦賀市にある資料館
敦賀市立博物館
福井県敦賀市にある博物館
旧敦賀港駅舎
福井県敦賀市にある建築物
氣比神宮
福井県敦賀市にある神社
紙わらべ資料館
福井県敦賀市にある、高木栄子の和紙人形を展示する美術館
金ヶ崎緑地
福井県敦賀市にある海浜公園
Kanegasaki Shrine
福井県敦賀市にある神社
Origins and History of Kutsumi Otaue Festival
According to the local preservation association, the Kutsumi Otaue Festival is a shinji that is said to have continued since the mid-Heian period.
It was once held on day 6 of lunar month 4, but has now been moved to May 5.
Although it was discontinued for a time, the preservation association revived it in 2003.
It was designated an intangible folk cultural property of Fukui Prefecture in Heisei 20.
Official information
The Fukui Prefecture cultural properties page introduces the Kutsumi Otaue Festival as an intangible folk cultural property designated by the prefecture.
The preservation group is the Kutsumi Otaue Festival Preservation Association, and the tradition is rooted in Kutsumi, Tsuruga City.
It is also listed in Tsuruga City’s cultural properties directory as a folk cultural property passed down at Kuzumi Shrine and Shiroki-hiko Shrine.
Source: 国・県指定文化財一覧 - 敦賀市ホームページ（文化・交流推進課）
Kutsumi Otaue Festival at a Glance
The Kutsumi Otaue Festival is a spring shinji in which the male and female shrines of Kutsumi join together to pray for a good harvest.
Through the procession, flute and taiko music, the Dance of the King, shishimai, and rice-planting songs, the festival passes on the region’s farming culture.
A distinctive feature of the festival is the procession carrying gohei between the two shrines, where the gohei are brought together at the end.
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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