Takezaki Kanzeonji Shusho-e Oni Matsuri

A traditional event in Takezaki, Tara Town, featuring children’s dances, an oni chase, and young men battling over the oni box.

About Takezaki Kanzeonji Shusho-e Oni Matsuri

The Takezaki Kanzeonji Shusho-e Oni Matsuri is a traditional event passed down in Takezaki, featuring demon chasing as part of Shusho-e, a New Year’s Buddhist service at a temple.

Old-style performing arts and folk customs that retain traces of the period before the medieval era, including children’s dances and rituals using the Daishobo staff, have been passed down.

Naked young men play a central role in the festival, and distinctive events unfold at the Kannon Hall.

It is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

Source: 国指定文化財等データベース / 竹崎観世音寺修正会鬼祭(たけざきかんぜおんじしゅしょうえおにまつり) ｜太良町ホームページ

Festival highlights

Highlights include a children’s dance performed by two children wearing fish hats and white masks, and the intense tussle among young men over the demon box.

When the Oni-zue runs out of the Kannon Hall carrying the demon box, naked young men rush forward together as the sounds of bells, drums, and conch shells ring out.

Another memorable scene unique to this festival is the ritual in which the Daishobo staff is struck until it breaks, followed by a crowd scrambling to seize it.

An ancient festival in Tara Town, where contests over the demon box and children’s dances live on

What to expect

The event comprises Buddhist services, sutra chanting, a procession, children’s dances, a ritual using the Daishobo staff, and demon chasing.

Adults carry the children between the hall and , where they perform several dances.

Afterward, young men contend over the demon box, and demons are chased around the temple grounds. The festival concludes after the afternoon rites.

Location and access

Address: Tara Town

Host municipality 佐賀県太良町

This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.

Open in Google Maps

Travel by taxi PRFind a taxi or private transfer for your journey.Find a taxi on Kiwitaxi Long-distance buses are another option PRFind routes and fares from your departure point to your destination.Find highway buses on Rakuten Travel

Dates and season

Season: Every year, January 2–3
Frequency: Every year

Accommodation and hotels PR

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 Saga Prefecture / Tara Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)

Supported by Rakuten Developers

Nearby attractions

Tourist attractions around Takezaki Kanzeonji Temple include Takezaki Castle Ruins Observation Deck, Shirahama Beach, and the underwater gate and underwater road at Ōuo Shrine.

Takezaki Castle Ruins Observation Deck is described as a spot with sweeping views of the Ariake Sea, while Shirahama Beach is presented as a place to experience the moon’s gravitational pull.

Alongside the festival, you can visit Tara Town’s coastal scenery and local attractions.

Source: 竹崎観世音寺修正会鬼祭り | イベント | 【公式】佐賀県観光サイトあそぼーさが

Origins and History of Takezaki Kanzeonji Shusho-e Oni Matsuri

The festival’s origins are unclear, but the Hizen no Kuni Koseki Engi describes an old custom in which people paraded someone wearing a demon mask while children struck them with branches.

There is also a legend in Takezaki that if the demon offshore from Yatobana and the demon at the Kannon Hall meet again, Takezaki Island will capsize.

The festival preserves an old form dating back to the Nanbokucho period and was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1985.

Official information

Takezaki Kanzeonji Shusho-e Oni Matsuri is featured in the cultural properties guide on Tara Town’s website.

The Saga Prefecture tourism site, Asobo Saga, also provides information on the venue, dates, and main festival rituals.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties provides the designation name and description of the event as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.