A festival where you encounter Noto’s words and prayers surrounding a large kagami mochi
The Idori Festival at Ukawa Sugawara Shrine
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year from November 1 through the 8th. The main event is listed as taking place on November 7. / Every year
- Location
- Sugawara Shrine
- Area
- Ishikawa Prefecture・Noto Town(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 30 min–3 h · 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
At the Idori Festival at Ukawa Sugawara Shrine, gratitude for the harvest is expressed through mochi, and a distinctive local exchange of words adds character to the offering ceremony.
About The Idori Festival at Ukawa Sugawara Shrine
The Idori Festival at Ukawa Sugawara Shrine is a harvest thanksgiving festival passed down in Ukawa, Noto Town.
Representatives from 6 districts and 12 myō form groups and serve as tōya in a rotation that changes each year.
The festival begins with the Kuchibiraki Festival and concludes with the bringing down of the ohake.
The local ritual organization and distinctive customs surrounding mochi have been passed down to the present day.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース / いどり祭／能登町ホームページ
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the “mochi inspection,” in which the quality of the mochi offered before the deity is scrutinized.
The attendant to the honored guest points out flaws in the mochi’s shape, color, size, and other qualities, prompting repeated exchanges in which the person on duty offers explanations.
The exchanges over the large kagami mochi, which measures about 1.2 meters in diameter, are especially distinctive, blending the Noto dialect with humor.
Finally, a mediates, and the duty is handed over to the next person.
Source: 鵜川のイドリ祭り | 石川県
A festival where you encounter Noto’s words and prayers surrounding a large kagami mochi
What to expect
The festival begins with the Kuchibiraki Festival, when the tōmoto erects the ohake.
The rice collected from each household is then used to make a large kagami mochi, tōshi mochi, and small mochi, which are presented to Sugawara Shrine.
On the night of the 7th, the “7.5 visits” ceremony is held to welcome the honored guest, followed by the mochi inspection and handover rituals in the .
On the 8th, the ohake is brought down, concluding the series of events.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Sugawara Shrine (18-155 Ukawa, Noto Town, Hōsu District, Ishikawa Prefecture).
The festival is listed as taking place in the Ukawa district of Noto Town.
Source: 菅原神社 | 【公式】能登町観光ガイド-能登半島｜石川県能登町観光ポータルサイト
Address 18-155 Ukawa, Noto Town, Hōsu District, Ishikawa Prefecture
Dates and season
The festival is held in November in most years. Cultural heritage information describes it as an event running from November 1 through the 8th.
Noto Town's guide says it is held every year on November 7.
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 Ishikawa Prefecture / Noto Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Origins and History of The Idori Festival at Ukawa Sugawara Shrine
The festival is formally called Hakkōe and is considered a traditional Niiname-sai ceremony conducted under the tōya system.
Traditions associated with Denbei are said to be connected to the Sugawara Shrine festival and the custom of welcoming an honored guest.
The festival’s service organization is said to follow a system established in Tenbun 3 (1534), which has been carried on to the present day.
Ishikawa Prefecture introduces it as an event where ancient traditions remain in the mochi inspection and ritual organization.
Official information
Information including the venue and dates can be found on the “Idori Festival” page of the Noto Town website.
The location of Sugawara Shrine and festival information are also listed in the Noto Town Tourism Guide.
The Idori Festival at Ukawa Sugawara Shrine at a Glance
The Idori Festival at Ukawa Sugawara Shrine is a traditional festival in Noto Town where mochi is offered in gratitude for the harvest, followed by an exchange of words about its quality.
Local customs such as the large kagami mochi, small mochi, ohake, and the “7.5 visits” messenger ceremony shape the sequence of events.
The date of the 2026 festival is currently being verified, but it is held in November in a typical year.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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