Prayers for a year of health and protection from illness in Kōnu, entrusted to the sound of a bow and a single arrow
Susa Shrine’s Matoyumi Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on January 7 / Every year
- Location
- Hichi Susa Shrine
- Area
- Hiroshima Prefecture・Miyoshi City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h 50 min–4 h 20 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.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/22
Susa Shrine’s Matoyumi Festival is a passed down since the Edo period, in which evil spirits are driven away with bow and arrows and prayers are offered for a year of health and protection from illness.
About Susa Shrine’s Matoyumi Festival
Susa Shrine’s Matoyumi Festival is a bow ritual held at Susa Shrine, which enshrines Susanoo-no-Mikoto.
This event has been passed down since the Edo period. The chief priest clanks the bow and arrows together to summon evil spirits, then finally shoots at the target to drive them away, praying for a year of health and protection from illness.
Susa Shrine is known as “Hichi’s Gion-san,” and local people keep its traditional events alive.
Source: 【三次市甲奴町】一年の無病息災を祈る神事 須佐神社の的弓祭（まとうさい） - 三次観光推進機構（みよしDMO） / 祭・イベント詳細： 須佐神社の的弓祭（まとうさい）｜（一財）都市農山漁村交流活性化機構（まちむら交流きこう）
Festival highlights
After the shinji, the chief priest and carry the target, bow, and arrows from the to the ritual site.
Rice husks are laid out in the shape of a bow at the ritual site. The chief priest circles counterclockwise through the four directions 3 times, clanging the bow and arrows overhead 3 times in each direction.
The priest then shoots an arrow at the target, which represents an evil spirit. After the arrow is released, people gather around the target to take home branches of young pine.
Prayers for a year of health and protection from illness in Kōnu, entrusted to the sound of a bow and a single arrow
What to expect
After the shinji is performed at the honden, the chief priest and shinshoku move to the ritual site.
The shinshoku walk over rice husks laid out in the shape of a bow, while the chief priest circles the ritual site, clanging the bow and arrows together.
It is said that shooting an arrow at the target at the end and taking home a branch of young pine will serve as a talisman for health and protection from illness.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hichi Susa Shrine / 1072 Hichi, Kōnu-chō, Miyoshi City
- Train and bus
Get off at Kōnu Station on the JR Fukuen Line; 5 minutes by car
- Parking
Yes
Event venue 広島県三次市 小童須佐神社
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on January 7
- 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 Hiroshima Prefecture / Miyoshi City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
広島県立みよし風土記の丘
広島県三次市にある風土記の丘
湯本豪一記念日本妖怪博物館
広島県三次市にある博物館
Origins and History of Susa Shrine’s Matoyumi Festival
Matoyumi Festival is a shinji that has been passed down since the early Edo period.
At Susa Shrine, various rites with a long history have been passed down, and the Matoyumi Festival has also been preserved with the cooperation of local people.
The festival continues to convey the practice of driving away evil spirits and praying for a year of health and protection from illness.
Official information
須佐神社 的弓祭ホームページ：Susa Shrine Matoyumi Festival website
Susa Shrine’s Matoyumi Festival at a Glance
Susa Shrine’s Matoyumi Festival is a bow ritual passed down since the early Edo period.
The chief priest clanks the bow and arrows together to summon evil spirits, then shoots at the target to drive them away, praying for a year of health and protection from illness.
It is said that taking home a branch of young pine used to decorate the target after the arrow is released will serve as a talisman for health and protection from illness.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/22
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
