A ritual that carries purified sand and passes down prayers for protecting the local embankment
Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on October 25 / Every year
- Location
- Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine
- Area
- Osaka Prefecture・Osaka City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 30 min–3 h · 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual is a folk event in Higashiyodogawa Ward in which purified sand is carried on a balance pole into the , with prayers for the maintenance and stability of the embankment.
About Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual
At Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual, after the chief priest performs a purification, participants carry purified sand on a balance pole and transport it to the shrine grounds, which stand higher than the surrounding area.
The ritual has been passed down at Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine, said to have been enshrined during the Kan’ei era, and today children from the neighboring kindergarten carry the sand.
This local festival prays for the maintenance and stability of the embankment and is designated an intangible folk cultural property of Osaka City.
Festival highlights
The highlight is watching the purified sand being carried on a balance pole into the shrine grounds.
Today, children from the neighboring kindergarten carry the sand. It is also distinctive that children take on this role in the festival.
Although townspeople once carried sand for recreation during the Edo period, there are no known examples of Sunamochi continuing as a regular festival, making this a valuable folk cultural property.
A ritual that carries purified sand and passes down prayers for protecting the local embankment
What to expect
First, the chief priest performs a purification. Then participants carry purified sand on a balance pole.
The sand is carried into the shrine grounds, which stand higher than the surrounding area.
The ritual continues today with children from the neighboring kindergarten carrying the sand, and the movements express prayers for the embankment’s maintenance and stability.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine (2-chome, Sugawara, Higashiyodogawa Ward, Osaka)
Address 2-chome, Sugawara, Higashiyodogawa Ward, Osaka
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on October 25
- Frequency
Every year
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 Osaka Prefecture / Osaka City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
難波八阪神社
大阪市にある神社
ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン
日本の大阪府大阪市此花区にあるテーマパーク
Sumiyoshi Taisha
大阪市住吉区の神社
国立国際美術館
大阪市北区中之島にある美術館
坐摩神社
大阪市中央区の神社
大阪ビジネスパーク
大阪市中央区にある超高層ビル群
大阪城公園
大阪市の公園
大阪天満宮
大阪市北区にある神社
大阪市立東洋陶磁美術館
大阪市北区中之島にある美術館
大阪市立科学館
大阪市北区中之島にある科学館
大阪市立美術館
大阪市天王寺区にある美術館
大阪歴史博物館
大阪府大阪市中央区にある博物館
Origins and History of Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual
Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine is said to have been enshrined during the Kan’ei era (1624–44), and the Sunamochi ritual has also been passed down there.
Since the Tenpo era (1830–44), villagers have taken part in this ritual, which has been held every year on September 9.
It has since changed to its present form, in which children from the neighboring kindergarten carry the sand on October 25, carrying on the local prayers.
Official information
Osaka City’s cultural property guide introduces Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual as an intangible folk cultural property.
The preservation organization is the religious corporation Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine, located at 2-chome, Sugawara, Higashiyodogawa Ward.
The guide also explains the ritual’s origins and present form, as well as its prayers for the maintenance and stability of the embankment.
Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual at a Glance
Sugawara Tenmangu Shrine’s Sunamochi ritual is a folk event in which, after the chief priest performs a purification, participants carry purified sand on a balance pole into the shrine grounds.
The ritual prays for the maintenance and stability of the embankment. Villagers once took part, while today children from the neighboring kindergarten carry the sand.
It has been passed down at a shrine said to have been enshrined during the Kan’ei era and is designated an intangible folk cultural property of Osaka City.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
