Moriyama Shrine’s Yobari ritual

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the distinctive method of divining the harvest prospects for the five grains, wind direction, and climate from how much water has evaporated from a jar and how wooden tablets placed to the east, west, south, and north have fallen.

During the ritual, a jar that has been kept since the previous year is opened, and the divination results are written on wooden tablets.

The following day, a procession for the water-drawing ritual takes place, with mikoshi, dashi, kiyari chants, and festival music moving through the neighborhood.

Reading Hayama’s harvest prospects and the course of the seasons through water and wooden tablets

What to expect

The ritual takes place in the shrine hall, where the water stored in a jar, the barley koji, and the condition of the wooden tablets placed in the four cardinal directions are checked.

At the annual festival, the mikoshi procession begins after the spirit is enshrined in the mikoshi. A procession accompanied by kiyari chants, festival music, and dashi travels through the neighborhood.

For the water-drawing ritual, water is drawn at Azuma Shrine, brought back to Moriyama Shrine, and placed in the sanctuary, continuing the cycle toward the following year’s Yobari ritual.

How to take part

The Yobari ritual can be viewed by the public inside the shrine hall, including from the covered gallery.

During the procession for the water-drawing ritual, children from the children’s association and other participating children are described as taking turns carrying a children’s mikoshi.

Those taking part as mikoshi bearers must follow the clothing requirements and safety precautions.

Source: 例大祭 - moriyamasha

Location and access

Venue and address

Moriyama Shrine (Moriyama Jinja) / 2165 Isshiki, Hayama, Miura District, Kanagawa Prefecture

Train and bus

Take a Keikyu bus from bus stop 2 at the east exit bus terminal of JR Zushi Station and get off at Kyuyakuba-mae.

The journey takes about 20 minutes.

Source: アクセス - moriyamasha

Address 2165 Isshiki, Hayama, Miura District, Kanagawa Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the dates listed have passed)

In 2026, the eve festival and Yobari ritual were scheduled for September 26 (Sat), and the main festival and water-drawing ritual for September 27 (Sun).

The Yobari ritual was scheduled to take place in the shrine hall from 15:00 on September 26, with public viewing available from the covered gallery.

The water-drawing ritual took the form of a procession to Azuma Shrine on September 27.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

There are dress requirements for the bearers taking part in the mikoshi procession. The top must be a montsuki or a plain white dabo shirt, the bottoms must be white momohiki or white half-length momohiki, and white jika-tabi must be worn.

Patterned clothing, exposed upper bodies, shimekomi, sandals and going barefoot are prohibited.

When watching the procession with small children, take care not to get too close to the dashi or vehicles.

Nearby attractions

Near Moriyama Shrine is Azuma Shrine (Takin-saka Fudoson), where water is drawn for the ritual.

Nearby attractions also include Gyokuzoin Temple, next to the shrine, and the Hayama Sangaokayama Prefectural Green Space behind it.

Isshiki Beach, Hayama Shiosai Park, and the Hayama Museum of Modern Art are also listed as attractions in the Isshiki area.

Source: 森山神社（森山社）| 一色会館とともに地域の舞台装置を兼ね備える葉山最古の社

Origins and History of Moriyama Shrine’s Yobari ritual

The origins of the Yobari ritual are unclear, but it is recorded in the mid-Edo-period work Wakan Sansai Zue and is believed to date back at least 300 years.

The schedule changed from the water-drawing ritual on November 15 and the Yobari ritual the following year to events in August.

Today, the Yobari and water-drawing rituals continue to be held in conjunction with the annual festival.

Official information

Moriyama Shrine’s official website provides information about the annual festival schedule, the mikoshi procession, the Yobari ritual, and performances dedicated to the shrine.

Information about the 2026 annual festival also includes the dates of the eve festival and main festival, as well as the times of each event.

Moriyama Shrine’s Yobari ritual at a Glance

Moriyama Shrine’s Yobari ritual is a distinctive folk event passed down in Hayama, in which the harvest prospects for the five grains and the weather are divined from the condition of water and wooden tablets.

The annual festival features not only Yobari but also a mikoshi procession, a water-drawing ritual, kiyari chants, festival music, and a dashi procession.

Visitors can learn about the rituals passed down in the community both by watching in the shrine hall and by seeing the procession travel through the neighborhood.