The Iris Rope-Pulling Festival of Kutani, Tajima

Festival highlights

A highlight is the contest between the children’s and adults’ teams over a rope about 40 meters long, woven with plants.

The teams pull against each other 7 times to the chant “Eito, eito.”

During the contest, the rope is lifted and slammed against the ground. The 7th and final pull is given special importance as the finishing pull.

It is also a distinctive feature of the event that a victory by the adults’ team is said to foretell a good harvest.

Source: 国指定文化財等データベース

A great rope-pulling contest passed down in Kutani, accompanied by the scent of irises and lively chants

What to expect

First, children gather irises, mugwort, and Japanese pampas grass placed out by households.

Members of the preservation society add rice straw and twist the plants together with the straw to make the rope, to the song “Ishiba-tsuki Uta.”

At night, the children’s and adults’ teams face each other and compete in 7 rounds to chants and songs.

Afterward, the rope is coiled like a snake by the roadside, bringing the event to a close.

Location and access

Venue and address

In the area known locally as Nakamichi, in the Kutani district of Shinonsen Town (on a public road between the Kutani and Sema rivers).

Event venue 兵庫県新温泉町 新温泉町久谷地区

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

The event is held every year on June 5, and the tug-of-war starts at around 8 p.m.

Held to mark the Boys’ Day festival, this event involves making a rope during the day, then having the children’s group and the adults’ group pull against each other at night.

For 2026, an event notice gives a start time of 8 p.m. on June 5.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The tug-of-war takes place from around 8 p.m. on a public road between the Kutani River and the Sema River.

The venue is not a fixed viewing facility; it is an area where the rope and participants move as the event progresses.

Since it takes place on a public road at night, please follow directions from staff and local guides, and watch without obstructing the route of the tug-of-war.

Origins and History of The Iris Rope-Pulling Festival of Kutani, Tajima

Rope-pulling events for the May seasonal festival in the Tajima region have been passed down in a form where people pull a rope woven with irises and mugwort, with groups of children taking part.

In Kutani, an event once held on day 5 of lunar month 5 has been passed down in its present form on June 5.

The Kutani Iris Rope Preservation Society was established in Showa 53. After the rope-pulling event was designated a cultural property by the town and prefecture, it was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Heisei 1.

Source: 久谷の菖蒲綱引き | 但馬の情報発信ポータルサイト「但馬情報特急」

Official information

Official information is available on the cultural properties page published by Shinonsen Town.

Information is provided about when the event is held, how the rope is made, the venue, the preservation society’s activities, and the history of its cultural property designation.

The Iris Rope-Pulling Festival of Kutani, Tajima at a Glance

The Iris Rope-Pulling Festival of Kutani, Tajima is a traditional event held every year on June 5 in the Kutani district of Shinonsen Town, featuring a rope woven with irises and mugwort.

The children’s and adults’ teams pull against each other 7 times to chants and songs. The final pull, known as the finishing pull, is used to divine the harvest.

The event follows a form passed down since the Edo period and is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, bringing together the hopes of the community and efforts to preserve the tradition.