A springtime custom in Konuma: tying mochi and wishing for a good harvest and household safety
Mochi-kae Event
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on March 8 / Once a year
- Location
- In front of the Konuma Mochi-kae Memorial Hall
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Nakano City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 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.
- Features
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/24
At the signal of a conch shell at sunrise, people bring straw bundles filled with anko mochi and straw horses, then exchange mochi in front of the Dosojin deity. This is a traditional event in Konuma.
About Mochi-kae Event
The Mochi-kae event is a city-designated intangible folk cultural property passed down in Konuma, Mitsuwa, Nakano City.
Early in the morning each year on March 8, at sunrise, each household brings straw bundles filled with anko mochi and straw horses.
People exchange mochi with one another in front of the Dosojin deity and pray for a good harvest and the safety of each household. It is an event rooted in village life.
Source: 中野市指定文化財【無形民俗文化財】 | 長野県中野市
Festival highlights
The highlight is the scene of straw bundles and straw horses arriving from each household at the signal of a conch shell, followed by the exchange of anko mochi in front of the Dosojin deity.
The exchanged mochi is said to be taken home and eaten with family and guests.
There is also a tale that tossing a straw horse onto the roof prevents fires, reflecting a custom that connects food, faith, and household safety.
A springtime custom in Konuma: tying mochi and wishing for a good harvest and household safety
What to expect
The event begins at sunrise. Each household gathers at the signal of the conch shell blown by the district head.
After the district head gives a greeting and prays for a good harvest and the safety of each household, participants exchange straw bundles filled with mochi.
They take the mochi home to eat with their families and guests, and a tale about the straw horses protecting homes from fire has also been passed down.
Location and access
- Venue and address
In front of the Konuma Mochi-kae Memorial Hall / Mitsuwa, Nakano City
Address Mitsuwa, Nakano City
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on March 8
- Frequency
Once a year
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 Nagano Prefecture / Nakano City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
一本木公園
長野県中野市にある公園
中野陣屋・県庁記念館
長野県中野市にある博物館
写真：photo: Qurren ( talk ) Taken with Canon IXY 10S (Digital IXUS 210) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
北信濃ふるさとの森文化公園
長野県中野市の公園
写真：photo: Qurren ( talk ) Taken with Canon IXY DIGITAL 10 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source ·Origins and History of Mochi-kae Event
The Mochi-kae event is said to have a history of about 400 years, though some aspects of its origins and significance remain uncertain.
In Konuma, one account says the event is held to comfort the spirits of local people who died in war and of the pioneers who opened up the land. Another says it began when a gift brought back while returning a horse borrowed from the ancestral homeland developed into an event.
The fact that people in the village have continued to participate in unison is considered an important aspect of the event’s folk-cultural value.
Official information
You can learn about the origins and details of the Mochi-kae event on Nakano City’s official website, under “Nakano City Designated Cultural Properties [Intangible Folk Cultural Properties].”
The event date and time are listed in Nakano City’s “Notice of Dates and Times for and Other Events of City-Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.”
Mochi-kae Event at a Glance
The Mochi-kae event is a city-designated intangible folk cultural property with a history of about 400 years. It is held every year on March 8 in Konuma, Mitsuwa, Nakano City.
At the signal of a conch shell at sunrise, each household brings straw bundles filled with anko mochi and straw horses to the Dosojin deity, then exchanges mochi to pray for a good harvest and the safety of each household.
Several accounts of the event’s origins have been passed down, carrying local memories and ways of life into the present.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/24
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