An ancient rite at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine in Matsushiro, where the New Year’s harvest is divined
The Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The eve of the New Year’s Seven Herbs Day and the day itself / Annual events
- Location
- Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Nagano City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 50 min · 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.
- Features
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A New Year’s rite of renewal for a good harvest, passed down at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine in Higashijo, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City. Through the Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual, people pray for a good harvest and divine the number of jewels and the grain yields.
About The Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine
The Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine are New Year rites of renewal held at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine in Higashijo, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City.
The Onda Festival is an event praying for a good harvest. The following morning, the number of Kodama stones is checked and the grain yields are divined.
Designated as a city-designated intangible folk cultural property, it has been handed down as a local annual event.
Source: 玉依比売命神社の御田祭・児玉石神事・御判神事 - 信州の文化財 - 財団法人 八十二文化財団 / 玉依比賣命神社（長野市松代町東条字内田）〈阿曇氏が祀った延喜式内社〉 - Shrine-heritager
Festival highlights
A highlight is the rite in which the number of Kodama stones handed down at the shrine is checked, and the year’s fortune is divined from any increase or decrease.
The Kodama stones consist mainly of jade magatama and tubular beads dating from the Kofun period, and are also designated as prefectural treasures.
Next, they divine the yields of nine types of grain, including rice, barley, and wheat, ranking them as upper, middle, or lower.
An ancient rite at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine in Matsushiro, where the New Year’s harvest is divined
What to expect
The events begin with the Onda Festival, held in the afternoon of the 6th day of the New Year, followed by the Kodama Stone Ritual early the next morning.
During the Kodama Stone Ritual, the number of sacred jewels is checked, and the year’s fortune is divined based on any increase or decrease.
At the same gathering, parish representatives assemble for the Five-Grain Divination, in which they divine the yields of nine types of grain.
How to take part
The main rites include the Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Five-Grain Divination.
At the Five-Grain Divination, parish representatives gather to divine the year’s crop yields.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine (443 Higashijo, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City)
- Train and bus
Take a bus bound for the prefectural government offices and Matsushiro from JR Nagano Station, get off at Matsushiro Station, then travel 10 minutes by car.
Another route 안내 is to walk 4 minutes from the Higashijo Elementary School bus stop.
- By car
25 minutes by car from JR Nagano Station.
Source: ⛩玉依比賣命神社｜長野県長野市 - 八百万の神
Address 443 Higashijo, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
The eve of the New Year’s Seven Herbs Day and the day itself
- Frequency
Annual events
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 Nagano Prefecture / Nagano City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
These rites are introduced as cultural properties, but not all cultural properties are necessarily open to visitors.
Anyone wishing to visit must inquire in advance with the relevant cultural property protection department.
Since the rites take place in separate sessions, in the afternoon of the 6th day of the New Year and early on the 7th, confirm whether visits are permitted and the schedule before traveling.
Nearby attractions
北野美術館
長野県長野市にある美術館
戸隠神社
長野県長野市の戸隠山周辺に五社を配する神社
長野県信濃美術館・東山魁夷館
長野県長野市にあった美術館
長野県立美術館
長野県長野市にある美術館
写真：photo: Qurren ( talk ) Taken with Canon PowerShot G9 X / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source ·Origins and History of The Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine
Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine is considered one of the shrines in Shinano Province listed in the Engishiki Jinmyocho.
According to the shrine’s history, after its founding it was relocated via Iwasawa and Isoparami, and moved to its present location in Kanki 2 (1230).
The Onda Festival is introduced as a harvest-prayer rite that has continued since ancient times, conveying local beliefs alongside divination using the Kodama stones and five grains.
Official information
The Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine are listed as a city-designated intangible folk cultural property.
The designation date is Showa 60February 9.
The relevant cultural property protection department is listed as the contact for inquiries about visiting.
The Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine at a Glance
The Onda Festival, Kodama Stone Ritual, and Gohan Ritual at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine are New Year rites in which people pray for a good harvest and divine the year’s fortune and crop yields from the condition of sacred jewels and grains.
The sequence consists of the Onda Festival on the 6th, followed by the Kodama Stone Ritual and Five-Grain Divination early on the 7th.
These rites have been passed down at Tamayorihime-no-Mikoto Shrine in Higashijo, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City, and are designated as a city-designated intangible folk cultural property.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
Submit information or a correction Submit photos of this festival
