Hōin Kagura of Makiyama, Ishinomaki: Prayers in Drumming and Dance
Oshika Hōin Kagura
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- August 9
- Location
- Makiyama Hiyorigasaki Shrine and other locations
- Area
- Miyagi Prefecture・Ishinomaki City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Oshika Hōin , passed down in Makiyama, Ishinomaki City, is a traditional performing art that conveys prayers through the sounds of drums and flutes, yudate, and kagura dances. It is performed as an offering at festivals such as the summer grand festival at Hiyorigasaki Shrine, where you can see its distinctive performance style, rich in Shugendo influences and including unique footwork.
About Oshika Hōin Kagura
Oshika Hōin Kagura is a hōin kagura passed down in Makiyama, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
It is performed at festivals at nearby shrines, particularly summer festivals, and is considered a type of shishi kagura performed by yamabushi once known as hōin.
It has been performed as a form of prayer to drive away evil spirits and pray for a bountiful harvest.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
Highlights include how music played on drums and flutes, a sacred song calling down the gods, yudate using a cauldron, and the shrine maidens’ stage-purification dance are incorporated into a continuous sequence.
Afterward, pieces including “Hatsuya,” “Ryōten,” and “Iwatobiraki,” as well as “Shomobun,” “Itsuya,” and “Yamatotakeru,” are performed.
It is also distinguished by a performance style rich in Shugendo influences and local characteristics, including distinctive footwork.
Hōin Kagura of Makiyama, Ishinomaki: Prayers in Drumming and Dance
What to expect
At an offering, all the hōin first line up on the stage. The performance then proceeds with music played on drums and flutes, a sacred song calling down the gods, the Kaikyōge, and the chanting of the Heart Sutra.
Next, yudate is performed at the cauldron in front of the stage, and shrine maidens purify the stage with a dance.
After that, several kagura pieces are performed in sequence, conveying prayers through the performing art.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Makiyama Hiyorigasaki Shrine and other locations / Makiyama, Minato, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture
- Parking
10 large vehicles and 50 regular cars.
Source: 牡鹿法印神楽【アソビュー！】
Address Makiyama, Minato, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture
Dates and season
Oshika Hōin Kagura is offered at the Reiyozaki Shrine Summer Grand Festival on August 9.
The usual time of year for the event is listed as August 9.
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 Miyagi Prefecture / Ishinomaki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
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石ノ森萬画館
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写真：gleam_df / CC BY 2.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
黄金山神社
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写真：Geomr / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
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写真：Junpei Satoh / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Oshika Hōin Kagura
One theory holds that Oshika Hōin Kagura began about 600 years ago, but its origins are unclear.
It has been passed down in connection with prayer as a type of shishi kagura performed by yamabushi once known as hōin.
In 1971, it was selected as an intangible folk cultural property for which measures such as the creation of records should be undertaken.
Official information
The Miyagi Prefecture official website’s “Designated Cultural Properties [Prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property]: Oshika Hōin Kagura” introduces its origins, characteristics, and offering periods as a performing art passed down in Ishinomaki City.
The National Database of Designated Cultural Properties also lists its repertoire, the sequence of the kagura, and its status as a cultural property.
Oshika Hōin Kagura at a Glance
Oshika Hōin Kagura is a hōin kagura passed down in Makiyama, Ishinomaki City, and a traditional performing art offered at festivals at nearby shrines.
Drums and flutes, sacred songs, the Heart Sutra, yudate, shrine maiden dances, and several kagura pieces come together to create a performance style rich in Shugendo influences.
It is listed as being performed at the summer grand festival at Hiyorigasaki Shrine on August 9.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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