A traditional event in Kamiokutomi featuring amazake and hayashi music
Umemiya Shrine’s Amazake Festival
The 2026 edition of Umemiya Shrine’s Amazake Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/02/10 〜 2026/02/11Ended
- Season / frequency
- Every year, February 10–February 11 / Every year
- Location
- Umemiya Shrine
- Area
- Saitama Prefecture・Sayama City(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- Free entry
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A traditional festival at Umemiya Shrine in Kamiokutomi, Sayama City, where visitors can enjoy the Yoimiya rites, music at the main festival, and tastings of amazake.
About Umemiya Shrine’s Amazake Festival
Umemiya Shrine’s Amazake Festival is a traditional annual event held at Umemiya Shrine in Kamiokutomi, Sayama City.
The festival is held as the Yoimiya on the 10th and the main festival on the 11th. In addition to the Amazake Festival, performances of Seikata are held.
Umemiya Shrine is said to have been established in 838, in the Jowa 5 era, by enshrining a deity from Umemiya Shrine in Kyoto, and it remains a place that conveys the faith of the local community.
Source: 梅宮神社 狭山市公式ウェブサイト
Festival highlights
Highlights include the nighttime Zazoro-shiki held during the Yoimiya on the 10th and the Seikata Hayashi performed at the main festival on the 11th.
On the day of the main festival, stalls line both sides of the approach, bringing a lively atmosphere to the .
This is a feast-style festival where people sing as they offer sake cups, and visitors can also enjoy tasting nigori-zake and amazake.
Source: 梅宮神社の甘酒祭り | 狭山市 | 子供とお出かけ情報「いこーよ」
A traditional event in Kamiokutomi featuring amazake and hayashi music
What to expect
The festival is held in two parts: the Yoimiya on the 10th and the main festival on the 11th.
During the Yoimiya, a nighttime ritual called Zazoro-shiki is held. At the main festival, participants exchange sake cups and sing, and Seikata Hayashi is also performed.
Amazake and nigori-zake are available to sample on the shrine grounds, and stalls line the approach.
How to take part
The Yoimiya on the 10th is a religious ceremony, so members of the public cannot take part in the ceremony itself.
However, it is possible to watch from outside.
For the Grand Festival on the 11th, no specific requirements or procedures for public participation are provided, but it is introduced as a free-entry event.
If you watch the Yoimiya on the 10th from outside, please watch quietly from the surrounding area so as not to disrupt the religious ceremony.
The Grand Festival on the 11th is listed as free entry.
No specific information is provided about whether reservations or applications are required, or how to join the Amazake Festival events.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Umemiya Shrine (508 Kamiokutomi, Sayama, Saitama)
- Train and bus
About a 25-minute walk from the north exit of Shin-Sayama Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line.
Another guide gives the walk as 20 minutes.
- By car
About 12 minutes from the Kawagoe Interchange on the Kan-Etsu Expressway.
- Parking
There is no parking lot.
Source: 梅宮神社の甘酒祭り - Wikipedia
Address 508 Kamiokutomi, Sayama, Saitama
Dates and season
2026 Event Information (the dates listed have passed)
In 2026, the festival was held from February 10 (Tuesday) to February 11 (Wednesday).
The guide says the Yoimiya on the 10th begins around 7 p.m., while the main festival on the 11th runs from 10 a.m. to around 4:30 p.m.
It is also held every year over 2 days, on February 10 and the 11th.
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 Saitama Prefecture / Sayama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The Yoimiya on the 10th is a religious ceremony, so watch from outside rather than taking part.
The Grand Festival on the 11th is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. until around 4:30 p.m., with stalls and tastings.
There is no parking, so consider using the train or other public transport, and be aware of changes due to weather or the organizers’ circumstances.
Nearby attractions
Origins and History of Umemiya Shrine’s Amazake Festival
Umemiya Shrine is said to have been established in 838, in the Jowa 5 era, by enshrining a deity from Umemiya Shrine in Kyoto.
The Amazake Festival is said to have originated when Ōyama-tsumi-no-kami, delighted by the birth of Hikohohodemi-no-mikoto to Konohanasakuya-hime-no-mikoto, brewed white sake and offered it to the gods of heaven and earth.
In 1992, the Umemiya Shrine Amazake Festival was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Saitama Prefecture.
Official information
The Sayama City official website provides information about the history of Umemiya Shrine, the dates of the Amazake Festival, Seikata Hayashi, and the shrine's location.
A related page is also listed for the “Umemiya Shrine Amazake Festival,” a Saitama Prefecture-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Umemiya Shrine’s Amazake Festival at a Glance
Umemiya Shrine’s Amazake Festival is a traditional event held every year on February 10 and the 11th in Kamiokutomi, Sayama City.
The event features religious rites and local festivities, including the nighttime Zazoro-shiki, Seikata Hayashi, the exchange of sake cups, and tastings of amazake and nigori-zake.
Visitors can watch the Yoimiya on the 10th from outside, and admission to the main festival on the 11th is free.
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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