A Tanoura festival where red-and-white dagō are offered to pray for a year free from illness
Dago Festival at Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine in Shibushi Town
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The first Sunday of February
- Location
- Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine
- Area
- Kagoshima Prefecture・Shibushi City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 20 min · flight time only)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.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
A festival passed down in Tanoura, where dagō decorated with red-and-white mochi arranged like flowers are offered, followed by a scramble after the ritual.
About Dago Festival at Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine in Shibushi Town
The Dago Festival at Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine in Shibushi Town is a local festival designated as a cultural property by the prefecture.
Today, it is held on the first Sunday of February. Each settlement makes decorations using green bamboo, straw rope, and red-and-white mochi, and offers them at the shrine.
After the ritual, people also scramble for the dagō that were offered.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the offerings of dagō made by each settlement, followed by a lively scramble for them.
Straw rope is wound around the top of green bamboo about 1 ken long, and red-and-white mochi is threaded onto split bamboo and arranged to resemble flowers.
After the ritual, events involving the dagō used in these decorations follow.
A Tanoura festival where red-and-white dagō are offered to pray for a year free from illness
What to expect
For the festival, each settlement makes decorations using green bamboo, straw rope, and red-and-white mochi, then offers them at Yamamiya Shrine.
After the ritual ends, people scramble for the dagō.
The dagō are eaten raw or in dishes such as zenzai, while the removed skewers are said to be used to ward off moles and insects, for example by inserting them at the water inlets of rice fields.
Location and access
- Venue
Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine
Event venue 鹿児島県志布志市 田之浦山宮神社
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
The first Sunday of February
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 Kagoshima Prefecture / Shibushi City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Official information
It is introduced on the Shibushi City official website under “Prefecturally Designated Cultural Property: Dago Festival at Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine in Shibushi Town.”
Dago Festival at Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine in Shibushi Town at a Glance
The Dago Festival at Tanoura Yamamiya Shrine in Shibushi Town is a festival designated as a cultural property by the prefecture. Each settlement decorates green bamboo with red-and-white mochi to resemble flowers and offers it at the shrine.
After the ritual, people scramble for the dagō.
It is said that the dagō bring a year free from illness, while the skewers are believed to ward off moles and insects, linking the festival’s events with local daily life.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
