A spring festival in Imizu featuring arrows shot from horseback and a bull-riding ceremony
Shimomura Kamo Shrine Yansanma
The 2026 edition of Shimomura Kamo Shrine Yansanma has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/05/04Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year on May 4 / Once a year
- Location
- Kamo Shrine
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Imizu City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This spring grand festival at Shimomura Kamo Shrine in Imizu City features a series of ancient rituals, including soma, the bull-riding ceremony, and . Known locally as the “Yansanma Festival,” it has been passed down as a festival praying for a good harvest.
About Shimomura Kamo Shrine Yansanma
The spring grand festival at Shimomura Kamo Shrine, known locally as the “Yansanma Festival.”
This festival features a series of ancient rituals designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Toyama Prefecture.
A series of rituals make up the festival, including the bull-riding ceremony praying for a good harvest and the yabusame ceremony, in which arrows are shot from horseback.
Source: 加茂祭（5月4日） | 下村加茂神社 / 「加茂祭」やんさんま（流鏑馬） – 射水 UNIQUE ｜ 富山縣射水官方觀光網站
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the yabusame ceremony, in which horses race along the shrine approach.
Mounted archers use bows about 3.6 meters long to shoot arrows at targets.
Alongside yabusame, the festival is also distinguished by soma, in which 3 horses travel back and forth along the highway, and the bull-riding ceremony, in which a rider shoots a prayer arrow while mounted on a bull.
A spring festival in Imizu featuring arrows shot from horseback and a bull-riding ceremony
What to expect
The festival features a series of events, including soma (horse racing), a sacred procession, the sacred horse ceremony, at the temporary shrine, the bull-riding ceremony, the return procession, the annual festival ceremony, the Kueh ceremony, and the yabusame ceremony.
During the sacred horse ceremony, 3 sacred horses gallop along the route, while during the bull-riding ceremony, a bull is made to sit in front of the .
In the final yabusame ceremony, archers make 3 passes along the riding ground while shooting at targets.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Kamo Shrine (630 Kamo-Chubu, Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture)
- Train and bus
From Kosugi Station on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway, take the AI on-demand bus Norutto Imizu, get off at Shimomura Park Golf Course, and walk about 5 minutes.
- By car
About 15 minutes from the Toyama Nishi IC and about 20 minutes from the Kosugi IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.
Address 630 Kamo-Chubu, Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, it was held on May 4, with the event time listed as 2 p.m. to around 5:30 p.m.
A series of rituals, including the yabusame ceremony, takes place.
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 Toyama Prefecture / Imizu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
射水市大島絵本館
富山県射水市にある博物館
射水市新湊博物館
富山県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Shimomura Kamo Shrine Yansanma
Yansanma is a colloquial name for the ritual ceremonies of the annual grand festival held at Shimomura Kamo Shrine; among them, yabusame is known as the signature event.
The Kamo Festival was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Toyama Prefecture in Showa 42.
Even today, a series of ancient rituals is held every year on May 4.
Source: 施設｜とやま学遊ネット
Official information
You can find details about the rituals of the Kamo Festival and directions on the Shimomura Kamo Shrine official website.
The contact information provided is Kamo Shrine’s phone number: 0766-59-2503.
公式サイト：Official website
Shimomura Kamo Shrine Yansanma at a Glance
Shimomura Kamo Shrine Yansanma is a spring grand festival known for its bull-riding ceremony praying for a good harvest and its yabusame ceremony, in which arrows are shot from horseback.
A series of ancient rituals, including soma, a sacred procession, and kagura, take place at Kamo Shrine and its surroundings.
It is also designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Toyama Prefecture, and in 2026 it was held on May 4.
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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