Echigo Urasa Bishamondo Hadaka-oshi-a-i Festival

Festival highlights

最大の見どころは、上半身裸の参加者が「サンヨー、サンヨ！」と声を合わせ、毘沙門堂内で押し合う場面です。

Wooden prayer plaques, lucky rice cakes, and other lucky items are scattered from above the sanctuary, and participants aim to get as close as possible to Bishamonten.

The giant candles, weighing about 30 kilograms, and the scattering of lucky rice cakes in the temple grounds are also memorable sights.

The fervor of the bare-chested pushing contest approaching Bishamonten on a snowy night

What to expect

The festival is held over two days: the eve of the main festival and the day of the main festival.

On the eve of the main festival, events include a lighting ceremony for the giant candles, a water purification ritual by the youth group, and the scattering of lucky rice cakes. On the main festival day, a goma prayer service is followed by the distribution and scattering of lucky rice cakes.

At night, participants who have completed the water purification ritual head to Bishamondo, where the pushing contest and the scattering of lucky items take place.

How to take part

参加費：志納金等の協力が案内されています。

Location and access

Venue and address

Bishamondo in the grounds of Fukōji Temple, Urasa (Urasa, Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture).

Train and bus

A 5-minute walk from Urasa Station on the JR Joetsu Line.

By car

About 15 minutes via National Route 17 from either Koide IC or Muikamachi IC on the Kan-Etsu Expressway.

Parking

Information is provided on using the Yamato Government Office parking lot and taking the shuttle bus.

Event venue 新潟県南魚沼市 浦佐普光寺境内毘沙門堂

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

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Dates and season

The festival will be held on March 6 (Saturday) in 2027.

Information states that the customary events are planned to take place on the main festival day.

It is usually held on the first Saturday of March, with events taking place on the eve of the main festival and the main festival day.

Source: 裸押し合い大祭 | 越後浦佐 普光寺

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The press of the crowd inside the hall is a thrilling event where participants gather closely together.

If you watch, please follow staff instructions and avoid obstructing the routes of those joining the press or adding to congestion in the shrine grounds.

Traffic restrictions or parking changes may be in effect around the grand festival, so if you come by car, please also check for temporary arrangements.

Nearby attractions

Bishamondo (Kisshōzan Fukōji Temple) is introduced as a nearby related site.

This is the very place where the festival unfolds, offering a chance to experience the culture of the temple grounds and hall.

Other places listed nearby include Urasa Castle Ruins and the Ikeda Memorial Museum, but distances and travel times from the festival venue are not provided.

Origins and History of Echigo Urasa Bishamondo Hadaka-oshi-a-i Festival

The festival is said to have originated about 1200 years ago, when Sakanoue no Tamuramaro built a hall and enshrined Bishamonten, praying for peace in the country, abundant harvests, safety at home, and other blessings.

Over time, the jostling of people trying to worship Bishamonten as quickly as possible combined with water purification rituals and prayers for protection from calamity and good fortune, giving rise to the hadaka-oshi pushing contest.

The event, formerly held on the third day of the New Year, was moved to March 3 after the Meiji period. Since 2020, it has been held on the first Saturday of March.

Official information

Official information is available on the “Hadaka-oshi-a-i Festival” page of Fukōji Temple in Echigo Urasa.

The 2027 festival schedule, the festival’s origins, and a history of changes to the events are listed.

The official website also provides information on making contributions to support the festival’s operation.

Visit the official website

Echigo Urasa Bishamondo Hadaka-oshi-a-i Festival at a Glance

The Echigo Urasa Bishamondo Hadaka-oshi-a-i Festival is a traditional event in Minamiuonuma City that brings together a pushing contest associated with worshipping Bishamonten, water purification rituals, giant candles, and the scattering of lucky items.

In 2027, it will be held on March 6, at Fukōji Temple in Urasa.

The venue is a walk from Urasa Station, and information for those arriving by car advises using the shuttle bus from the Yamato Government Office parking lot.