A traditional Utsuno event in which a bamboo-and-rough-rope bonten proceeds along the shrine approach and is dedicated to the local guardian shrine
Takeyama Hōkine Shrine Bonten Age
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on November 23 / Every year
- Location
- Takeyama Hōkine Shrine (Inner Shrine, Takashimizu)
- Area
- Tochigi Prefecture・Nasushiobara City(From Tokyo: approx. 50 min–1 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
A folk event in which bonten made of bamboo and rough rope are dedicated at Takeyama Hōkine Shrine, the guardian shrine of Utsuno. It is distinctive for the bonten, led by a lucky straw bale, being vigorously jostled along shrine approaches and elsewhere.
About Takeyama Hōkine Shrine Bonten Age
Takeyama Hōkine Shrine Bonten Age is an event in which bonten are dedicated at Takeyama Hōkine Shrine, the guardian shrine of Utsuno.
The shrine is also commonly called “Otake-san” and draws worshippers from the Nasu and Shioya areas, as well as parts of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures.
This folk event, rooted in the local community, features bonten dedicated by Utsuno and Kanazawa residents and various groups.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the bonten, made primarily from rooted mosō bamboo, and the dedication ceremony.
A bamboo basket is attached to the top of the bonten, shide streamers cut by the priest are tied on, and rough rope is wrapped around the lower half and sides of the bamboo.
The event is distinctive for the bonten being led by a lucky straw bale, then vigorously jostled and dedicated at the Lower Shrine, along nearby shrine approaches, and on the bridge at the Inner Shrine.
A traditional Utsuno event in which a bamboo-and-rough-rope bonten proceeds along the shrine approach and is dedicated to the local guardian shrine
What to expect
The event begins with a lucky straw bale leading the bonten.
The bonten proceeds past the Lower Shrine and along nearby shrine approaches, and is also vigorously jostled on the taiko bridge at the Inner Shrine.
It is then dedicated at the shrine. The event brings together the bonten’s construction and the act of dedication.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Takeyama Hōkine Shrine (Inner Shrine, Takashimizu) / 841 Utsuno, Nasushiobara City
Address 841 Utsuno, Nasushiobara City
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on November 23
- 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 Tochigi Prefecture / Nasushiobara City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
乃木神社
栃木県那須塩原市にある神社
Origins and History of Takeyama Hōkine Shrine Bonten Age
It is unclear when Bonten Age began, but at its peak before the war, many bonten were dedicated not only from within the district but also from neighboring districts.
The annual festival date changed from day 19 of lunar month 10 to the current November 23.
On November 26, 1977, it was designated a city-designated intangible folk cultural property.
Official information
Nasushiobara City: “Takeyama Hōkine Shrine Bonten Age”
Takeyama Hōkine Shrine Bonten Age at a Glance
Takeyama Hōkine Shrine Bonten Age is a city-designated intangible folk cultural property in which bonten are dedicated at Utsuno’s guardian shrine.
Bonten made from rooted mosō bamboo, bamboo baskets, shide streamers, and rough rope are led by a lucky straw bale, then vigorously jostled at the Lower Shrine, along the shrine approach, and on the taiko bridge at the Inner Shrine.
When the event began is unclear, but dedications were flourishing before the war. The current annual festival date is November 23.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
