Odai Dosojin Festival

Festival highlights

The main highlight is the life-size straw horse, of which only one is made.

Adults make a horse sturdy enough for a child to ride, using straw and rope, and pull it around the district together with smaller straw horses.

A procession led by a straw horse heads to the Dosojin, offering a close-up glimpse of local faith and the children taking part.

You can enjoy the event alongside the streetscape around Odai-juku.

Source: 佐久・中山道さんぽ 第2弾｜小田井宿：軽井沢から少し足をのばして、静かな宿場町を歩く – プラザ佐久 公式通販サイト

A children’s Dosojin festival walking alongside life-size straw horses

What to expect

The event begins with children gathering at the local guardian shrine. Led by a straw horse, they travel around the district pulling smaller horses as well.

It is said that after paying their respects to the Dosojin, people eat the ohagi mochi that was offered there.

The straw horse is mounted on a wheeled board so it can be pulled along the road, and is sturdy enough for a child to ride.

How to take part

During the event, children pull straw horses around the district.

Some straw horses are large enough for children to ride, but no information has been provided on how to participate in the local event or whether people from outside the district may join.

If you would like to watch, it is best to do so from along the route without disrupting the local proceedings.

Children gather at the local guardian shrine, then pull straw horses around the district.

Information has not been provided on how to sign up, where to register, or whether people from outside the district may participate.

If you wish to take part, you will need to contact the local organizers in advance.

Location and access

Venue and address

The procession starts at the Nagakura Shrine and Suwa Shrine joint shrine and travels through the area around Odai-juku.

Train and bus

Odai-juku is reported to be a 22-minute walk from Shinano Railway’s Miyota Station.

By car

Odai-juku is reported to be a 6-minute drive from the Saku Interchange on the Joshinetsu Expressway.

Parking

Odai-juku is reported to have a free parking lot reserved for visitors.

Please check separately for parking arrangements on the day of the festival.

Event venue 長野県御代田町 長倉神社

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

Open in Google Maps

Dates and season

Season

Every year in February

Frequency

Every year

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

There are no public toilets around Odai-juku. Toilets are available at Miyota Station and Ryujin no Mori Park.

As there are few places to eat and drink, it is a good idea to bring a drink.

Parking is also limited, so consider arriving by public transport.

Please be considerate of pedestrian traffic and photography along the route so as not to disrupt the procession or local worship.

Nearby attractions

Near the venue is Odai-juku, a post town on the old Nakasendo.

Its lattice-fronted buildings and roadside waterways remain, and the site is preserved as the Odai-juku Ruins on the Nakasendo, a historic site designated by Miyota Town.

The Nagakura Shrine and Suwa Shrine joint shrine, as well as the old Nakasendo road with its Dosojin and stone monuments, are places where you can experience both the festival and the area’s history.

Origins and History of Odai Dosojin Festival

The Odai Dosojin Festival is passed down as a local event rooted in faith in the Dosojin, with prayers for prosperous descendants and the safety and happiness of children.

Miyota Town’s cultural property list records it as a town-designated folk material in 1978.

A local history article says that the festival, which had once ceased, was revived in 1971, and it continues to be passed down in the Kamijuku and Odai districts.

Source: 発見！！ここにもあった！「小田井区・上宿区」の「わら馬引き（道祖神祭り）」 | 信濃路てんこ盛り

Official information

Miyota Town’s “Festival and Event Introductions” page describes the Odai Dosojin Festival and the wishes behind it.

The inquiry office is the Commerce and Tourism Section of the Industry and Economy Department, Miyota Town; the phone number is 0267-32-3113.

Please contact the inquiry office to confirm the 2026 event date and participation information.

Odai Dosojin Festival at a Glance

The Odai Dosojin Festival is an event involving straw horses and the Dosojin, passed down in the Kamijuku and Odai districts of Miyota Town.

Children pull a life-size straw horse made by adults around the district and pay their respects to the Dosojin.

This festival offers a chance to experience local culture and its prayers for prosperous descendants and the safety and happiness of children.