Sanyori Koyori

Festival highlights

A highlight is the scene of children holding Tanabata bamboo poles, circling the demon 3 times while chanting “Sanyori Koyori.”

After circling 3 times, the demon beats a drum, and the children make a motion of striking the demon with the decorated bamboo.

This sequence of rites is repeated 3 times.

Another distinctive Tanabata Festival scene is the procession carrying the mikoshi with the sacred object as it crosses the Mibu River.

A traditional Ina event featuring Tanabata bamboo poles and a mikoshi crossing the Mibu River

What to expect

The event begins with children gathering at Tenpaku Shrine, carrying decorated Tanabata bamboo poles.

Two adults wearing straw hats and carrying drums dress as demons, while the children form a circle around them.

They circle the demon 3 times while chanting, then strike it with decorated bamboo at the drum cue; this sequence is performed 3 times.

Afterward, a procession carrying the sacred object in a mikoshi crosses the Mibu River and performs the same rites at the other Tenpaku Shrine.

How to take part

At the festival, children hold decorated bamboo poles and form a circle, joining the rites as they chant in response.

A procession carrying the mikoshi with the sacred object is also held.

However, based only on the information provided, it is not possible to determine whether general visitors from outside the area may take part in the rites or the mikoshi procession.

Anyone wishing to watch should respect local customs so as not to disrupt the event.

Children from the area gather at Tenpaku Shrine with decorated Tanabata bamboo poles and join the rites surrounding the demon.

Two adults wear straw hats, carry drums, and play the role of demons.

No information is provided about how visitors from outside the area can take on a role or about advance registration.

Anyone wishing to take part needs to check with the local organizers or people involved.

Location and access

Venue and address

A procession carrying the sacred object crosses the Mibu River from Kawate Tenpaku Shrine (Shimokawate, Misuzu, Ina City) to Sakurai Tenpaku Shrine (Sakurai, Tomigata, Ina City).

Address Shimokawate, Misuzu, Ina City, Nagano Prefecture; Sakurai, Tomigata, Ina City, Nagano Prefecture

Open in Google Maps

Dates and season

It is usually held on August 7.

It is listed as starting at 1 p.m. at Kawate Tenpaku Shrine and at 2 p.m. at Sakurai Tenpaku Shrine.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Origins and History of Sanyori Koyori

According to local tradition, the festival began in 1427, in the middle of the Muromachi period, when Tenpaku-sama, who was in Katakura, Fujisawa, was carried by floodwaters to Sakurai, Tomigata, and then further downstream to Kawate, Misuzu.

In connection with this, Tenpaku-sama came to be enshrined in both Sakurai and Kawate.

The event is also said to have continued since 1472, during the Ashikaga period.

The rites to appease floods are said to have taken their present form through their connection to the relationship between the two Tenpaku-sama and the Tanabata legend.

Official information

The official Ina City website introduces the festival as “Sanyori Koyori (Tanabata Festival at Tenpaku Shrine),” describing its origins, the sequence of the rites, the venue, and the usual date.

For inquiries, the Public Relations and Public Opinion Section of the Secretary and Public Relations Division, General Affairs Department, Ina City Hall, is listed.

Sanyori Koyori at a Glance

Sanyori Koyori is a Tanabata Festival at Tenpaku Shrine, handed down in Kawate and Sakurai in Ina City.

The central rite involves children surrounding a demon and striking it with decorated bamboo to chants and drumbeats.

After the festival, the mikoshi procession crosses the Mibu River, and rites are also held at Tenpaku Shrine on the opposite bank.

例年の開催日は8月7日です。