Nigorikawa Mushi-okuri

Festival highlights

Highlights include the pair of straw figures, one male and one female, made on the day, and the daimyo-procession-like parade centered around them.

The white and red attendants carry the figures, while participants in roles such as spear bearers and the scissor-box bearer form a line and walk through the settlement.

A distinctive feature is the sequence of making, processing with, and sending off the figures: residents touch them along the way, then burn the figures and equipment on the riverbank at the end to ward off misfortune.

A day of warding off misfortune in Nigorikawa, walking with straw figures

What to expect

On the morning of the event, residents gather to make straw figures of a man and a woman, completing them around noon.

After that, a religious ceremony is held at Surusuno Shrine, and groups assigned different roles proceed through the settlement.

Along the way, there are moments when residents touch the figures. At the final stop on the riverbank, the figures and equipment are burned. It is customary to hold a sanaburi gathering at Nigorikawa Kaikan after the event.

How to take part

The event is centered on residents of the Nigorikawa settlement, who take responsibility for making the straw figures, holding the religious ceremony, and conducting the procession.

Children also take part, and people across generations carry on the event together.

The event begins when local residents gather in the morning to make straw figures of a man and a woman.

After the religious ceremony, participants take on roles such as the lord, spear bearers, the scissor-box bearer, and the white and red attendants, and proceed through the settlement.

Source: 小坂町川上地域の「濁川の虫送り」が４年ぶりに復活！ | 秋田のがんばる集落応援サイト あきた元気ムラ

Location and access

Venue and address

Nigorikawa settlement, Kawakami area, Kosaka Town, Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture.

A religious ceremony is held at Surusuno Shrine (formerly Kawakami Shrine), followed by a procession through the settlement; the figures are then burned on the riverbank.

Address Nigorikawa settlement, Kawakami area, Kosaka Town, Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture

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Dates and season

Season

Early June after rice planting

Frequency

Every year

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Tips for your visit

The straw figures are made and burned on the same day, so there is only one day a year when you can see them in person.

During the procession, there are moments when residents touch the figures as they make their way through the settlement.

Details about the event and viewing arrangements may vary from year to year, so please check the event status before visiting.

Nearby attractions

The Kosaka Town General Museum, Kyodokan, is a place to visit in connection with the event.

The museum displays straw figures made when the Nigorikawa Mushi-okuri was revived, so you can see them even outside the event date.

The museum is also listed as the contact for inquiries about the festival, making it a point of contact for questions about the event.

Museums and art museumsKosaka Town

小坂町総合博物館郷土館

秋田県小坂町にある博物館

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写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Nigorikawa Mushi-okuri

The Nigorikawa Mushi-okuri is said to have begun in the Edo period.

It was discontinued once due to a shortage of people to carry it on, but was revived after straw figures were made for an event in Aomori Prefecture bringing together folk deity figures from across Tohoku.

It has since been passed down through the community amid changes in its participants and way of life, and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Kosaka Town.

Official information

For inquiries, contact the Kosaka Town General Museum, Kyodokan.

The phone number is 0186-29-4726, and a related page for the Kyodokan at Kosaka Town Hall is also listed.

Nigorikawa Mushi-okuri at a Glance

The Nigorikawa Mushi-okuri is a ritual to ward off misfortune, passed down in the Nigorikawa settlement in early June after rice planting.

Residents make straw figures of a man and a woman, then hold a daimyo-procession-like parade after the religious ceremony.

The practice of entrusting misfortune to the figures and finally burning them on the riverbank embodies wishes for a good harvest and for people to remain safe and healthy.