Kamitakayanagi’s festival, where new sickles are passed on and hopes for a fruitful harvest are renewed
Suwa Shrine Kamadokkae
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- July 27
- Location
- Suwa Shrine
- Area
- Saitama Prefecture・Kazo City(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · 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
Held at Suwa Shrine in Kamitakayanagi, Kazo City, this festival involves exchanging the previous year’s sickles for new ones and praying for a bountiful harvest.
About Suwa Shrine Kamadokkae
Suwa Shrine Kamadokkae is a festival held at Suwa Shrine in Kamitakayanagi, Kazo City.
Each household brings the sickle it received from the shrine the previous year and exchanges it for a new one.
A local tradition in which people pray for a bountiful harvest by exchanging sickles.
Source: 諏訪神社鎌どっかえ／加須市
Festival highlights
One highlight is seeing each household bring the sickle it received from the shrine the previous year.
A distinctive custom that gives the festival its name is exchanging that sickle for a new one.
The sickles are said to be made of thin wood shavings, and the exchange carries a wish for a bountiful harvest.
Kamitakayanagi’s festival, where new sickles are passed on and hopes for a fruitful harvest are renewed
What to expect
For the festival, each household brings the sickle it received from the shrine the previous year.
They exchange the sickle they brought for a new one and then pray for a bountiful harvest.
The main details confirmed by the available materials are the sickle exchange and prayers for a good harvest.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Suwa Shrine, 52 Kamitakayanagi, Kazo City
Address 52 Kamitakayanagi, Kazo City
Dates and season
- Season
July 27
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 Saitama Prefecture / Kazo City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Origins and History of Suwa Shrine Kamadokkae
At this festival, each household brings the sickle it received from the shrine the previous year and exchanges it for a new one.
The sickles are described as being made of thin wood shavings, and people pray for a bountiful harvest as part of the exchange.
The materials do not provide further historical details, such as the festival’s origins or when it began.
Official information
Kazo City lists the venue address, the sickle-exchange custom, prayers for a bountiful harvest, and the festival date under “Suwa Shrine Kamadokkae.”
Suwa Shrine Kamadokkae at a Glance
Suwa Shrine Kamadokkae is a festival held at Suwa Shrine in Kamitakayanagi, Kazo City, featuring a sickle exchange and prayers for a bountiful harvest.
Each household brings the sickle it received from the shrine the previous year and exchanges it for a new one.
The festival date is listed as July 27.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/22
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