Tanokuchi Sai no Kami Festival

Festival highlights

Highlights include giant straw sandals and giant sandals measuring approximately 1.5 meters.

The straw sandal is said to be the footwear of a male deity, and the sandal that of a female deity. On the 2 cedar trees, sandals are hung on the right and sandals on the left, as viewed from the front.

Raising the huge footwear is intended to represent the presence of a large-bodied deity and drive away evil spirits.

After they are dedicated, they remain enshrined there until the next Coming of Age Day.

Source: 巨大なわらじと草履を奉納し厄除け 豊岡市で「賽の神祭」 - サンテレビニュース

A Tanokuchi ritual entrusting the community’s well-being to giant straw sandals and giant sandals

What to expect

During the festival, residents of Tanokuchi weave rice straw in the morning to make straw sandals and sandals approximately 1 meter long and 70 centimeters wide.

In the early afternoon, the finished footwear is hung from cedar trees, which are believed to house the deity of the feet, and dedicated.

Afterward, a Shinto priest recites prayers, while local residents observe the ritual.

Making and dedicating the giant straw sandals and giant sandals are the main parts of the event.

How to take part

The festival is organized by the Tanokuchi district.

In the morning, residents of the Tanokuchi district weave a giant straw sandal and a giant straw clog, then hang them on a cedar tree as offerings in the early afternoon.

Location and access

Venue and address

Tanokuchi district, Hidaka-cho, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture.

The festival is held in the Tanokuchi district, where straw sandals and zori sandals are dedicated to a cedar tree.

Address Tanokuchi, Hidaka-cho, Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture

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Dates and season

Season

The February weekday of January every year (Coming of Age Day)

Frequency

Every year

Accommodation and hotels PR

Nearby attractions

Temples and shrinesToyooka City

出石神社

兵庫県豊岡市にある神社

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写真：Saigen Jiro / CC0

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Tanokuchi Sai no Kami Festival

The Tanokuchi Sai no Kami Festival is said to have begun around 1600, and was originally held during the Little New Year on January 15.

Sai no Kami has been worshipped as a deity who wards off evil spirits and plague deities at village boundaries and road entrances. It is also said that people offered round river stones and prayed for protection from illness.

Today, giant straw sandals and giant sandals are dedicated by the Tanokuchi community on the February weekday of January.

In 1993, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Toyooka City.

Official information

The Toyooka City Official Tourism Website’s “Tanokuchi Sai no Kami Festival” listing provides the venue, 2026 date, fees, parking information, and contact details.

For inquiries, contact the Hidaka Kannabe Tourism Association.

Tanokuchi Sai no Kami Festival at a Glance

The Tanokuchi Sai no Kami Festival is a local Shinto ritual in which giant straw sandals and giant sandals are dedicated in Tanokuchi, Hidaka-cho, Toyooka.

The belief in Sai no Kami, who protects against the entry of evil spirits, and the wish for good health and the safety of the community have been passed down through generations.

The 2026 event was listed as taking place on January 12, with residents of Tanokuchi creating the footwear and dedicating it to cedar trees as the central activities.