Tsutsukowake Shrine Otaue

Festival highlights

A highlight is a series of performances in which a taiko drum’s leather surface represents a rice paddy, and a rice-cake hoe and pine branches are used to depict the stages from plowing the field to planting rice.

A doll of a cow mounted on a cart appears to harrow the field, and a dancer wearing a white fox mask performs the Tenko Dance.

At the end, long, thin strips of rice cake are thrown to worshippers as the performers chant “Naka-meshi.”

An ancient rice-field ritual dance in Tanagura, depicting a bountiful harvest on a taiko drum

What to expect

After the religious rites, kagura dances—the Pine Dance, Shrine Maiden Dance, and Sacred Wand Dance—are followed in turn by performances of checking the irrigation weir, maintaining the channels, plowing the field, shaping the ridges, drawing water, and harrowing.

During the seed-sowing scene, the performers chant “wase,” “nakate,” “okute,” and “mochi,” and also chant the names of rice varieties suggested by worshippers.

The performances conclude with rice planting and the Tenko Dance, followed by the distribution of cut rice cakes.

Source: 御田植祭（八槻都々古別神社） | 棚倉町活性化・観光物産協会 | 棚倉町公式ホームページ

How to take part

The festival performances are carried out by musicians and ujiko, among others. Descriptions include scenes in which ujiko and others join in the plowing and rice planting.

During the seed-sowing scene, worshippers also perform a gesture in which they call out the names of rice varieties.

Please check the information for each festival edition to see whether general visitors can participate as performers and whether participants are being recruited.

Location and access

Venue and address

Worship hall of Yatsuki Tsutsukowake Shrine / 224 Omiya, Yatsuki, Tanagura, Tanagura Town, Higashishirakawa District, Fukushima Prefecture

Train and bus

Get off at Chikatsu Station on the JR Suigun Line, then walk 13 minutes (about 900 m) or take a taxi for about 3 minutes.

Another option listed is a taxi for about 5 minutes from Iwaki-Tanakura Station on the JR Suigun Line.

By car

From the Tokyo area, travel to Tanagura Town via National Route 289 from Shirakawa IC, or via Naka IC and National Route 349 from Misato IC, among other routes.

Parking

There is parking for about 20 vehicles at the shrine.

Source: 八槻都々古別神社（奥州一宮） | 棚倉町活性化・観光物産協会 | 棚倉町公式ホームページ

Address 224 Omiya, Yatsuki, Tanagura, Tanagura Town, Higashishirakawa District, Fukushima Prefecture

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Dates and season

It is usually held on day 6 of lunar month 1, starting at 10 a.m. in the haiden of Yatsuki Tsutsukowake Jinja.

As the date is based on the lunar calendar, its Gregorian date varies from year to year.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The event takes place in the jinja’s haiden. When watching kagura and ta-asobi up close, please observe quietly so as not to interrupt the shinji.

At the end of the performance, cut rice cakes are tossed to worshippers. Please be considerate of those around you and take care to stay safe when catching one.

The 2026 event date and time should be confirmed in advance.

Nearby attractions

The venue, Yatsuki Tsutsukowake Shrine, is one of the three Tsutsukowake shrines and was known as the “Chugu” (Middle Shrine) among the three Chikatsu shrines around the Edo period.

Cultural properties such as a bronze bowl and a wooden standing statue of the Eleven-Headed Kannon have been preserved on the shrine grounds.

Along with the Otaue, visitors can learn about the history and treasures of this shrine dedicated to the deity of agriculture.

Origins and History of Tsutsukowake Shrine Otaue

The date when the Otaue tradition began is unclear, but the form of its performances suggests that it dates back at least to before the Muromachi period.

It is said that the event was once held at night and was suspended for a time during the Meiji period.

Today, musicians, mainly members of the shrine’s hereditary priestly family, carry on the tradition with refined lines and gestures reminiscent of Noh and kyogen.

Official information

Event and venue information is available on the official website of the Tanagura Town Revitalization and Tourism Products Association.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties also provides information about its cultural significance and background.

Tsutsukowake Shrine Otaue at a Glance

Tsutsukowake Shrine’s Otaue is a traditional rice-field ritual dance from Tanagura Town, in which a series of rice-growing activities is performed in the worship hall to pray for a good harvest.

Scenes include plowing with a taiko drum representing a rice paddy, harrowing with a cow doll, and the Tenko Dance performed in a white fox mask.

The event concludes with rice cakes being thrown to worshippers.