A festival praying for a good harvest, depicting rice cultivation through songs and gestures, with a taiko representing a rice paddy
Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri
The 2026 edition of Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/02/23Ended
- Season / frequency
- The rooster hour on the 7th day of the old New Year / Every year
- Location
- Usaashi Shrine
- Area
- Aichi Prefecture・Toyokawa City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 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
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri is an agricultural ritual that expresses the stages of rice cultivation through songs and gestures and prays for a good harvest. A with rice cakes on top represents a rice paddy, while willow branches serve as farming tools as performers act out the work from plowing to harvesting.
About Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri
Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri is a festival where performers act out the stages of rice cultivation through gestures and songs and pray for a good harvest.
In the , the chief priest prays in front of a Mount Hōrai decoration; in the courtyard, rice cakes are placed on a taiko to represent a rice paddy.
Willow branches stand for hoes and sickles, while performers playing roles such as the chief farmer, farmhand, and lunch carrier act out the farm work from plowing to harvesting.
Festival highlights
The highlight is how everyday objects are used to represent farming tools and rice paddies in a depiction of rice cultivation.
Rice cakes are placed on the taiko set in the courtyard, and willow branches are used as hoes and sickles.
Performers take roles such as the chief farmer, farmhand, and lunch carrier, acting out the farm work from plowing to harvesting through songs and gestures.
A festival praying for a good harvest, depicting rice cultivation through songs and gestures, with a taiko representing a rice paddy
What to expect
The festival begins with the chief priest praying in front of a Mount Hōrai decoration in the haiden.
Next, a taiko is placed in the courtyard, with rice cakes set on top to represent a rice paddy, and willow branches stand for hoes and sickles.
Performers playing roles such as the chief farmer, farmhand, and lunch carrier act out the farm work from plowing to harvesting through songs and gestures.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Usaashi Shrine, 2 Miyawaki, Kozakai-cho, Toyokawa City
- Train and bus
JR Iida Line: about a 5-minute walk from Kozakai Station / From JR Nagoya Station, transfer to the Iida Line at Toyohashi Station, get off at Kozakai Station, then walk about 5 minutes
- By car
About 15 minutes by car from the Toyokawa IC on the Tomei Expressway
- Parking
Available
Address 2 Miyawaki, Kozakai-cho, Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed event date has passed)
2026年は2月23日（月）18:00～19:00に開催され、開催終了と案内されています。
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 Aichi Prefecture / Toyokawa City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
According to the 2026 information, restrooms and parking are available at the venue.
開催時間は18:00～19:00です。
Nearby attractions
御油の松並木資料館
愛知県豊川市の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
砥鹿神社
愛知県豊川市にある神社
豊川市桜ヶ丘ミュージアム
愛知県豊川市にある博物館と美術館の機能を持つ複合文化施設
Origins and History of Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri
Ta Matsuri is an agricultural ritual held every year from the rooster hour on the 7th day of the old New Year.
Performers act out the stages of rice cultivation through gestures and songs, depicting the work from plowing to harvesting and praying for a good harvest.
Through the chief priest’s prayers, the use of a taiko to represent a rice paddy, and the performance in which willow branches serve as farming tools, the festival preserves a tradition connected to rice cultivation.
Official information
Aichi Now, Aichi Prefecture’s tourism website: “Usaashi Shrine Ta Matsuri”
Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri at a Glance
Usaashi Shrine’s Ta Matsuri is a festival where performers act out the stages of rice cultivation through songs and gestures and pray for a good harvest.
Following prayers by the chief priest, a taiko topped with rice cakes represents a rice paddy, while willow branches stand for hoes and sickles to depict farm work.
A distinctive feature is that performers take roles such as the chief farmer, farmhand, and lunch carrier, acting out the work from plowing the fields to harvesting.
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
