An ancient Tamanooya Shrine rite that divines good or ill fortune through sumo-like movements
Urate Sumo at Tamanooya Shrine
The 2026 edition of Urate Sumo at Tamanooya Shrine has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/09/27Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year, on a Sunday close to September 25. The Urate ritual is held on the eve of the annual festival. / Every year
- Location
- Tamanooya Shrine, Ichinomiya of Suō Province
- Area
- Yamaguchi Prefecture・Hofu(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 min · flight time only)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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Required number of participants
- 2 ritual participants
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Ude sumo, handed down at Tamanooya Shrine in Hofu City, is a divination ritual held on the eve of the , featuring movements similar to sumo wrestling.
About Urate Sumo at Tamanooya Shrine
The Urate Sumo at Tamanooya Shrine is a divination ritual held on the eve of the shrine’s annual festival at Tamanooya Shrine in Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Because it involves sumo-like movements, it is also called the Urate ritual or night sumo.
According to shrine tradition, it began when Emperor Chūai divined good or ill fortune in battle while on his way to conquer the Kumaso.
It is carefully preserved in the local community as a folk cultural property that carries on ancient customs.
Source: 山口県/観光スポーツ文化部文化振興課/文化財・山口県の文化財
Festival highlights
A highlight is the scene on the stone paving in front of the shrine gate, where two ritual participants face one another and repeat prescribed steps and movements striking their hips.
The Miyatsuki Shuza, dressed in kamishimo, along with the , garden torches, round cushions, and swords, helps prepare the ritual space.
At the end, the two participants switch places, strike the ground, and raise a battle cry toward the kami.
A distinctive feature is the opportunity to see a unique form that combines sumo-like movements with divination rites.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
An ancient Tamanooya Shrine rite that divines good or ill fortune through sumo-like movements
What to expect
After a purification ceremony performed by a , the ritual participants receive round cushions and swords from the Miyatsuki Shuza and offer them before the kami.
The two participants advance and retreat three steps at a time in a stance resembling a crouch, performing movements in which they strike their left and right hips.
They then bring their palms together and change places while grappling, before striking the ground 12 times in ordinary years and 13 times in leap years.
Visitors quietly watch each prescribed movement as part of the ritual.
How to take part
The ritual is performed by the hereditary Miyatsuki Shuza and the ritual participants.
The ritual participants serve in prescribed attire and perform set movements, while the Miyatsuki Shuza acts as judge and handles the passing of ritual implements.
It has not been stated whether members of the general public may take part as ritual participants.
If you wish to watch, please follow the instructions on the so as not to disrupt the ritual.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Tamanooya Shrine, Ichinomiya of Suō Province (Osaki, Hofu).
The ritual takes place on the stone paving in front of the shrine gate on the shrine grounds, or on the between the shrine gate and the second .
Source: 国指定等文化財 - 防府市公式ホームページ
Address Osaki, Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
In 2026, the event was listed as part of the Tamanooya Shrine Annual Grand Festival on September 27 (Sunday).
The ritual was scheduled to take place from 11 a.m., together with the Festival and the Urayasu no Mai, followed by the Goshinkosai at 4 p.m.
The children’s was listed for 2 p.m., and the lottery for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Source: 玉祖神社例大祭（占手神事） - たびたびほうふ - 山口県防府市
Accommodation and hotels PR
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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 Yamaguchi Prefecture / Hofu (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The ritual takes place in front of the shrine gate or along the sando within the shrine grounds, so please watch from a spot that does not obstruct passage or the progress of the festival.
As the event centers on the movements of ritual participants and ceremonies performed by shrine priests, visitors are asked to observe quietly.
The 2026 Grand Festival program also included the Ude Ritual, the honden ceremony, the Urayasu Dance, and the Shinkosai procession.
For changes due to weather or local circumstances, please follow the announcements on the day.
Nearby attractions
三田尻塩田記念産業公園
山口県防府市にある展示館
毛利氏庭園
山口県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
毛利邸
山口県防府市にある毛利宗家の本邸
防府天満宮
山口県防府市にある神社
防府市文化財郷土資料館
山口県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Urate Sumo at Tamanooya Shrine
Urate Sumo is said to have been held on August 15 according to the old lunar calendar. After the Meiji era, with the adoption of the solar calendar, it came to be held on September 24, the eve of the annual festival.
Today, it is held on the eve of the annual festival or on a nearby Saturday.
Before the war, it was performed by Miyatsuki, a particular group of ujiko; after that custom ended following the war, a preservation association took over its transmission.
It was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1976 and selected in 1997 as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property for which the national government should take measures such as creating records.
Official information
Event information is available from Hofu’s tourism information portal, “Tabitabi Hofu.”
Details of its cultural-property designation and origins are listed in Yamaguchi Prefecture’s cultural-property information and the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ database of nationally designated cultural properties.
Urate Sumo at Tamanooya Shrine at a Glance
The Urate Sumo at Tamanooya Shrine is a ritual in Hofu in which sumo-like movements are offered, rooted in a tradition that it was used to divine good or ill fortune in battle.
Shimenawa and garden torches are arranged on the stone paving in front of the shrine gate, where two ritual participants repeat prescribed movements.
It is a valuable cultural event that preserves hereditary roles and ancient ritual implements.
In 2026, it was listed as part of the annual grand festival on September 27.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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