Ombi’s Mushi-okuri: entrusting hopes for a good harvest to torches and the beat of drums
Mushi-okuri (Obama City)
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Location
- Former Miyagawa Elementary School grounds
- Area
- Fukui Prefecture・Obama 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Mushi-okuri, passed down in the Miyagawa district of Obama City, is an event in which a procession of torches and the sound of drums drive pests from the fields and express hopes for a good harvest.
About Mushi-okuri (Obama City)
Mushi-okuri is a traditional event in the Miyagawa district, held to drive pests from the fields and pray for a good autumn harvest.
August 9, 2025At night, residents walked through the Miyagawa district of Obama City carrying torches.
After briefly dying out following the war, the event was revived in 1979, and a preservation society was established in 1983.
In 2003, it was designated an Obama City Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the 8 torch processions setting out from 7 hamlets in the district.
Residents carried torches about 1 meter long and walked along farm roads toward the former Miyagawa Elementary School, beating drums and gongs mounted on mini trucks and other vehicles.
After everyone gathered, a memorial service for crop pests, performances by each group of drummers, and fireworks were also held.
Ombi’s Mushi-okuri: entrusting hopes for a good harvest to torches and the beat of drums
What to expect
At the 2025 event, torch processions set out from 7 hamlets in the district at around 7 p.m.
Residents carried torches and walked along farm roads toward the former Miyagawa Elementary School as drums and gongs rang out.
A memorial service for crop pests was held on the former Miyagawa Elementary School grounds, followed by drum performances and fireworks.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Former Miyagawa Elementary School grounds / Shinbo, Obama City (Miyagawa district)
Address Shinbo, Obama City (Miyagawa district)
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 / Obama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
山川登美子記念館
福井県小浜市にある文学館
御食国若狭おばま食文化館
福井県小浜市にある博物館
福井県立若狭歴史博物館
福井県小浜市にある博物館
Origins and History of Mushi-okuri (Obama City)
Mushi-okuri briefly died out after the war, but was revived in 1979.
A preservation society was established in 1983, creating a structure for the community to carry on the event.
In 2003, it was designated an Obama City Intangible Folk Cultural Property and documented as an event to drive pests from the fields and pray for a good harvest.
Mushi-okuri (Obama City) at a Glance
Mushi-okuri is a traditional event in the Miyagawa district of Obama City, held to drive pests from the fields and pray for a good autumn harvest.
In 2025, 8 torch processions set out from 7 hamlets and headed toward the former Miyagawa Elementary School as drums and gongs rang out.
A memorial service for crop pests, drum performances, and fireworks were held on the grounds.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
