Three sacred bouts at the Yoshida Festival, with the result passed on to the following year
U no Koku Sumo
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year November 3 / Every year
- Location
- Hachiman Shrine (Tatsuma)
- Area
- Ehime Prefecture・Uwajima City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 25 min–1 h 45 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
- Last updated
- 2026/10/22
U no Koku Sumo is a ritual sumo event dedicated at Hachiman Shrine on the morning of the Yoshida Festival. The 3 bouts, performed by a referee and wrestlers in formal attire, follow a distinctive tradition: the winner is never decided, and the result is left unresolved until the following year.
About U no Koku Sumo
U no Koku Sumo is one of the sacred procession events of the Yoshida Festival, held at Hachiman Shrine in Tatsuma, Yoshida-cho, Uwajima City.
In the early morning of November 3, before the divine spirit is transferred to the , ritual sumo is dedicated before the gods.
The referee and wrestlers appear in formal kimono with hakama, and the bouts center on the gods of the eastern and western districts.
Festival highlights
The highlight is the distinctive custom of not deciding a winner, as the bouts are treated as contests between the gods.
There are 3 bouts. During the third bout, between the two ozeki, the referee steps in and declares, “No winner.”
Since all the wrestlers are considered gods, the draw is carried on every year—a distinctive feature of this event.
Three sacred bouts at the Yoshida Festival, with the result passed on to the following year
What to expect
The event takes place on the , and the wrestlers, led by the referee, appear in formal kimono with hakama.
There are 3 bouts between the gods of the eastern and western districts. In the final bout between the two ozeki, the referee steps in midway and rules that the result will remain undecided until the following year.
Once this series of rituals is over, the festival moves into its main proceedings.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hachiman Shrine (Tatsuma) / 1-3908 Tatsuma, Yoshida-cho, Uwajima City
- Train and bus
JR Yosan Line, Iyo-Yoshida Station
- Parking
Free Yoshida Park parking lot
Source: 吉田秋祭の神幸行事（国指定無形民俗文化財）/11月3日 - うわじま観光ガイド / 吉田祭のお練り行事 2026年｜日程・スケジュール・見どころ | EHIME NOW
Address 1-3908 Tatsuma, Yoshida-cho, Uwajima City
Dates and season
- Season
Every year November 3
- 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 Ehime Prefecture / Uwajima City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Yoshida Fureai Kuni Yasu no Sato is listed as a nearby attraction for the Yoshida Autumn Festival.
No specific distance or walking time from the festival venue is provided.
和霊神社
愛媛県宇和島市和霊町に鎮座する神社
天赦園
愛媛県宇和島市にある日本庭園
宇和島城
愛媛県の城
写真：Original uploader was Vickerman625 at en.wikipedia / Public domain
Photo source ·
宇和島市立伊達博物館
愛媛県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
写真：京浜にけ at Japanese Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
宇和島市立歴史資料館
愛媛県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of U no Koku Sumo
U no Koku Sumo is a ritual dedicated during the autumn of the Yoshida Festival, before the divine spirit is transferred to the mikoshi.
The Yoshida Festival has been passed down since the late early modern period, and U no Koku Sumo has also been carried on every year.
The continued custom of leaving the result undecided until the following year is a distinctive historical feature of the event.
Official information
Uwajima City’s official website lists details of the Yoshida Festival, including U no Koku Sumo, under “Nationally Designated: Yoshida Festival Procession.”
The Yoshida Festival procession became a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property on March 28, 2025.
U no Koku Sumo at a Glance
U no Koku Sumo is a ritual sumo event dedicated at Hachiman Shrine in Yoshida-cho, early in the morning of November 3.
A referee and wrestlers in formal attire perform 3 bouts on the haiden, with the final result left undecided until the following year.
After this event, which takes place before the divine spirit is transferred, the Yoshida Festival proper begins.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/22
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