Noda’s traditional performing art, where dancers praying for rain captivate audiences atop a tall pole
Noda’s Tsukuma-i
The 2026 edition of Noda’s Tsukuma-i has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/18Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every July / Every year
- Location
- Tsukuma-i venue (Kikkoman Parking Lot)
- Area
- Chiba Prefecture・Noda City(From Tokyo: approx. 40 min–1 h · 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
- 2026/10/19
Noda’s Tsukuma-i is a folk performing art passed down in Noda City, performed atop a tall pole as a prayer for rain. Jujirosan, dressed as a tree frog, demonstrates highly skilled performances on the pole and ropes.
About Noda’s Tsukuma-i
Noda’s Tsukuma-i is a folk performing art considered a rain-praying ritual, passed down in Noda’s three districts in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture.
“Jujirosan,” dressed in white and wearing a tree frog mask, performs acrobatics atop a tall pole and on ropes.
Held on the middle day of the local summer festival, it is one of the events that symbolizes summer in Noda.
It was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Chiba Prefecture in Heisei 5 and selected as a Nationally Selected Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Heisei 11.
Source: 野田のつく舞 - Wikipedia / シリーズ13 先人らの情熱で受け継がれてきた「津久舞」｜野田市ホームページ
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the remarkable performance by Jujirosan atop a pole about 14 meters tall.
The performer dresses as a tree frog and performs dances and acrobatics on the pole and on ropes strung from it.
Some scenes involve shooting arrows or performing handstands, conveying the tension of performing at such a height.
Another distinctive feature is how the pole, representing a water deity, becomes a stage where faith in prayers for rain meets highly skilled performance.
Source: 川のまちネットワーク / 7月市長フォト日記｜野田市ホームページ
Noda’s traditional performing art, where dancers praying for rain captivate audiences atop a tall pole
What to expect
The event begins with the raising of a tall pole called the Tsukuma-i pole, on which Jujirosan, dressed as a tree frog, performs.
The performance includes climbing up and down the pole, dancing on top of it, and doing acrobatics on a rope.
The event is listed as taking place from 7 p.m. at the Tsukuma-i venue in 2026.
This event is a rain-praying ritual in which the festival rites and high-altitude performance are watched together.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Tsukuma-i venue (Kikkoman Parking Lot), 350-1 Noda, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture.
- Train and bus
Noda City Station on the Tobu Noda Line (Tobu Urban Park Line) is listed.
Travel times to the station are about 20 minutes from Kashiwa, about 15 minutes from Nagareyama-ōtakanomori, about 60 minutes from Funabashi, about 20 minutes from Kasukabe, and about 40 minutes from Ōmiya.
- By car
About 20 minutes via Route 16 from Kashiwa IC on the Joban Expressway, and about 35 minutes via Route 4 from Goka IC on the Ken-O Expressway.
- Parking
The venue name includes Kikkoman Parking Lot.
Source: 川のまちネットワーク | まちの紹介
Address 350-1 Noda, Noda City, Chiba Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
For 2026, the event is listed as taking place from 7 p.m. on July 18 (Saturday).
Noda’s Tsukuma-i is considered a folk event held on the middle day of the summer festival in Noda’s three districts.
As the high-altitude performance takes place at night, arriving at the venue in time for the start should make it easier to see.
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 Chiba Prefecture / Noda City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
千葉県立関宿城博物館
千葉県野田市にある総合博物館
清水公園
千葉県野田市にある民営の自然公園
Origins and History of Noda’s Tsukuma-i
Records state that Noda’s Tsukuma-i began as a prayer for rain following the severe drought of Kowa 2 (1802).
It is said to have been performed for the first time at the Atago Shrine festival in Bunsei 1 (1818).
After that, the event was repeatedly interrupted and revived due to accidents involving falls, war, and other factors. In Showa 29, momentum for its revival grew, led by young people.
Since Showa 63, local performers have carried on the tradition, and it has also been recognized as a cultural property.
Official information
Event information is available on the Noda City Tourism Association website.
The Noda City information page lists the 2026 event date, start time, and venue address.
Noda’s Tsukuma-i at a Glance
Noda’s Tsukuma-i is a folk performing art embodying prayers for rain, in which Jujirosan performs high-altitude acrobatics on a pole about 14 meters tall.
It is said to have begun in 1802 and has been passed down through interruptions and revivals led by local residents.
For 2026, the event is listed as taking place from 7 p.m. at the Tsukuma-i venue in Noda, Noda City, on July 18.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
