Uenoma Hadaka Mairi

Festival highlights

The highlight is the misogi, in which the young men enter the sea unclothed to purify themselves.

Afterward, they change into special attire and visit shrines and temples in the Uenoma district while singing Ise Ondo.

At points along the route, they continue singing beside fires used for purification, making for a demanding journey involving both water and fire.

A long procession that visits 7 shrines and temples is another distinctive feature of this event.

Uenoma’s rite to ward off misfortune, carried on by young men through sea and fire

What to expect

At the 2024 event, participants gathered on New Year’s Eve at a community center called the lodging, then performed misogi on the shore after the New Year began.

They leave the lodging at 1:30 a.m. and begin walking through the settlement around 2:30 a.m., singing Ise Ondo.

Along the route, they stopped at each shrine and temple, continuing their prayers while warming themselves by fires.

They covered a route of about 3 kilometers and returned to the lodging before 4 a.m.

Location and access

Venue and address

Uenoma district, Mihama Town

Source: 野間埼灯台のまち愛知県知多郡美浜町| 海と灯台プロジェクト

Address Uenoma, Mihama Town, Chita District, Aichi Prefecture

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Dates and season

Season

From New Year’s Eve through New Year’s Day

Frequency

Once a year

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Origins and History of Uenoma Hadaka Mairi

Uenoma Hadaka Mairi is said to have been passed down in the Uenoma district since the Edo period.

It is said that dozens of young men once took part, but 6 young men participated in the 2024 event.

Although people speak of declining participation, the young men express their commitment to carrying on the event as an annual occasion involving the whole community.

In 1986, Mihama Town recorded Uenoma Hadaka Mairi as a cultural property.

Official information

The Mihama Town Board of Education’s cultural property records list Uenoma Hadaka Mairi as an intangible folk cultural property passed down in the Uenoma district.

The designation date as a cultural property is Showa 61August 11.

Uenoma Hadaka Mairi at a Glance

Uenoma Hadaka Mairi is a New Year’s event in the Uenoma district of Mihama Town, where young men perform an exorcism on behalf of men in an unlucky year.

After performing misogi in the sea, they visit 7 shrines and temples while singing Ise Ondo, stopping by fires to warm themselves as they pray.

The event is said to date back to the Edo period and is also recorded as a town cultural property.

No confirmed information is available about the 2026 event date or conditions for general participation.