Entrusting prayers for Uchiyama’s flames and a bountiful harvest to two hashiramatsu
Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko
The 2026 edition of Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/07/11Ended
- Season / frequency
- It is recorded as an annual event held in July. / Every year
- Location
- Hachiman Shrine–Dainichido
- Area
- Nagano Prefecture・Kijimadaira Village(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.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko is a fire festival in the Uchiyama district of Kijimadaira Village, where the prospects for the year’s crops are divined by lighting two hashiramatsu. Children known as Matsumiko climb the pillars and compete to light them using flint.
About Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko
Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko is a fire-festival handed down in the Uchiyama district of Kijimadaira Village.
Two hashiramatsu are raised, and children known as Matsumiko climb the pillars and use flint to light them. The speed at which they catch fire is used to divine the prospects for that year’s crops.
It is an event imbued with the community’s hopes: victory by the upper pillar signifies peace throughout the land, while victory by the lower pillar signifies a bountiful harvest.
Festival highlights
The highlight is the contest to light the two hashiramatsu.
The Matsumiko climb their respective hashiramatsu, strike flint to light them, and compete to see which one catches fire first.
Victory by the upper pillar is said to signify peace throughout the land, while victory by the lower pillar signifies a bountiful harvest; the flames and the outcome embody the community’s prayers.
Entrusting prayers for Uchiyama’s flames and a bountiful harvest to two hashiramatsu
What to expect
The event begins with the raising of two hashiramatsu.
Children known as Matsumiko climb their respective hashiramatsu and compete to light them using flint.
Records describe the Uchiyama procession as setting out from Hachiman Shrine and heading to Dainichido. In the fire-festival contest, watch to see which hashiramatsu catches fire first and wins.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Hachiman Shrine–Dainichido (Uchiyama district)
- Parking
As parking spaces are limited, please follow the instructions of each district when parking.
Event venue 長野県木島平村 八幡神社～大日堂
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
2026年7月11日（土）19:00～。
八幡神社を出発し、21:00頃までの案内でした。
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 / Kijimadaira Village (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
According to the 2026 event information, parking spaces were limited, so visitors were asked to follow each district’s instructions when parking.
Origins and History of Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko
Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko is described as one of the fire festivals in a tradition said to have spread to various regions from around the Heian period, linked to the trials of spiritual power performed by practitioners of Shugendo.
It has been passed down as an event in the Uchiyama district of Kijimadaira Village, and in Heisei 6April 25 it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the village.
It is a rare folk cultural property with no known parallels elsewhere in the prefecture, and is considered an important resource for the study of Shugendo.
Official information
Information on the 2026 edition of “Hashiramatsuko,” listed by the Kijimadaira Village Tourism Promotion Bureau on “Meguru Kijimadaira”
Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko at a Glance
Uchiyama no Hashiramatsuko is a fire-festival shinji passed down in the Uchiyama district of Kijimadaira Village.
The procession heads from Hachiman Shrine to Dainichido, where Matsumiko compete to light two hashiramatsu.
It is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property linked to Shugendo trials of spiritual power, where the result—determined by which pillar catches fire first—is used to divine peace throughout the land and a bountiful harvest.
In 2026, the event was scheduled to run from 19:00 on July 11 until around 21:00.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
