A night of throwing mochi and running away with steamed rice
Shitamoto no Nigemochi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/11/22Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- On the evening of November 22 each year / Held annually
- Location
- Shitamoto Community Hall
- Area
- Saga Prefecture・Arita Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 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.
- Features
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/15
An event passed down at Shitamoto Community Hall in Arita Town, known for mochi pounding and the custom of taking steamed rice and running away with it. It is recognized as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the town.
About Shitamoto no Nigemochi
Shitamoto no Nigemochi is a mochi-pounding event passed down at Shitamoto Community Hall in Arita Town, Saga Prefecture.
Recognized as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the town, the event includes a tradition in which young people throw mochi out of the mortar and then take steamed rice and run away with it.
The pounded mochi is shared among households in the district and offered at their household altars.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the sight of young people pounding mochi with wooden mallets and throwing it out of the mortar.
The mochi is shared among households in the district and offered at their household altars.
Next, steamed rice is placed in the mortar, and the young people take some in their hands and run away—a distinctive custom that is also reflected in the event’s name.
A night of throwing mochi and running away with steamed rice
What to expect
First, young people pound mochi with wooden mallets, throwing it out of the mortar as they work.
The mochi thrown out of the mortar is shared among households in the district and offered at their household altars.
The second time, steamed rice is placed in the mortar, and the young people take some in their hands and run away.
The rice is shared among the event’s participants, and tradition says that eating it will bring a year free from illness and misfortune.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Shitamoto Community Hall
Address Shitamoto, Arita Town, Nishimatsuura District, Saga Prefecture
Dates and season
In 2026, it is listed as an annual event held on the night of November 22.
The venue is Shimomoto Community Center.
At the event, mochi is pounded in 2 sessions.
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 Saga Prefecture / Arita Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
佐賀県立九州陶磁文化館
佐賀県有田町にある美術館
旧田代家西洋館
佐賀県有田町にある洋館
有田ポーセリンパーク
佐賀県有田町にある「酒・器」のテーマパーク
有田町歴史民俗資料館・有田焼参考館
佐賀県有田町にある博物館
有田陶磁美術館
佐賀県有田町にある美術館
陶山神社
佐賀県有田町にある神社
Origins and History of Shitamoto no Nigemochi
Shitamoto no Nigemochi is a mochi-pounding tradition passed down at Shitamoto Community Hall.
Recognized as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the town, it is recorded as having two distinctive stages: mochi is shared among households in the district and offered at household altars, then young people take steamed rice from the mortar and run away with it.
A local belief says that eating the steamed rice will bring a year free from illness and misfortune.
Shitamoto no Nigemochi at a Glance
Shitamoto no Nigemochi is a mochi-pounding event passed down at Shitamoto Community Hall in Arita Town, and is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the town.
Young people throw mochi out of the mortar, connecting it with households in the district and their household altars, then take steamed rice in their hands and run away with it.
A local belief says that eating the steamed rice will bring a year free from illness and misfortune.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/15
