Children’s chants and 11 strikes preserve Onagawa’s summer tradition
Onagawa Shobu Tataki event
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Evening of day 4 of lunar month 5 / 1 time a year
- Location
- Within the Onagawa neighborhood of Funakawaminato, Oga City
- Area
- Akita Prefecture・Oga City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 40 min–4 h 10 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Age restrictions
- Boys up to junior high school age
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This annual event has been passed down in Onagawa, Funakawaminato, Oga City. Children visit homes throughout the community and wield tataki sticks. The event carries wishes to ward off evil spirits and misfortune, and continues as part of local life.
About Onagawa Shobu Tataki event
The Onagawa Shobu Tataki event is an annual observance passed down in Onagawa, Funakawaminato, Oga City, held on day 4 of lunar month 5.
Boys up to junior high school age visit homes throughout the community carrying tataki sticks tightly wrapped with rope.
The event is said to ward off evil spirits and misfortune, and to bring good fortune.
Today, it continues in the Onagawa community as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property rooted in local life.
Source: 女川の菖蒲たたき行事／男鹿市ホームページ
Festival highlights
One highlight is watching the children visit homes throughout the community one by one and strike the ground outside each entrance forcefully with tataki sticks.
During visits, participants use set greetings and chants, striking the ground 11 times in total, counting from “one” through “and one more for good measure.”
Another distinctive feature is the sequence of receiving a monetary gift from the household after the event and then heading to the next home.
Children’s chants and 11 strikes preserve Onagawa’s summer tradition
What to expect
At around 6 p.m., the boys gather with their tataki sticks and greet residents outside the homes they visit.
After reciting a chant, participants strike the ground 11 times, receive a monetary gift from the household, and move on to the next home.
After visiting every home, the group returns to its starting point, where the oldest students tally and distribute the monetary gifts.
How to take part
The event is carried out by boys up to junior high school age; it is not an event where general visitors take on that role.
If you watch, it is best to stay a little way back and observe quietly so you do not interrupt the exchanges between the visiting children and local residents.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The event takes place in the Onagawa neighborhood of Funakawaminato, Oga City, with participants visiting homes throughout the community.
Address Onagawa, Funakawaminato, Oga City, Akita Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Evening of day 4 of lunar month 5
- Frequency
1 time a year
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 Akita Prefecture / Oga City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The event moves from one household to another throughout the community, rather than taking place at a single viewing venue where you can see everything at once.
Please let the event take precedence and watch without interrupting the children’s chants or their exchanges with residents.
As the event involves striking the ground with sticks outside homes, it is important to keep a safe distance and not get too close.
Nearby attractions
なまはげ館
秋田県男鹿市にある資料館
写真：Kumpei Shiraishi / CC BY 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
男鹿市若美ふるさと資料館
秋田県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
Mayama Shrine
秋田県男鹿市にある神社
写真：らんで / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·
秋田県立男鹿水族館
秋田県男鹿市にある水族館
写真：掬茶 / CC BY-SA 4.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Onagawa Shobu Tataki event
The Onagawa Shobu Tataki event is an annual observance passed down in the Onagawa area for generations.
The event was once held in areas such as Kitaura, Wakimoto, and Iriai, but today it continues in the Onagawa community.
In Heisei 23March 25, Oga City designated it a municipal cultural property and classified it as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Official information
The Oga City website’s information page for the “Onagawa Shobu Tataki event” provides details on its name, location, activities, and cultural property designation.
For inquiries, contact the Oga City Cultural and Sports Division, Culture and Geopark Promotion Team (Cultural Properties).
公式案内：女川の菖蒲たたき行事／男鹿市ホームページ
Onagawa Shobu Tataki event at a Glance
The Onagawa Shobu Tataki event is an annual observance held on day 4 of lunar month 5 in Onagawa, Funakawaminato, Oga City, with children at its heart.
This distinctive custom of striking the ground outside homes 11 times with tataki sticks and visiting households has been passed down through the generations.
It is intended to ward off evil spirits and misfortune, and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Oga City.
Source: 男鹿市指定文化財一覧／男鹿市ホームページ
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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