Yubana Ritual at Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine

Festival highlights

A highlight is the sight of a large cauldron, used to pray for the well-being of the area, alongside hagama cauldrons offered by individual households, all lined up along the sando.

At each cauldron, a shinshoku dressed in white dips sasa bamboo into the hot water and sprinkles it, while the donors bathe in the water.

The donors then pull the shinshoku away from the cauldron, and the shinshoku known as the “Kenza” recites prayers. This sequence of actions is repeated at every cauldron.

A time-honored Yubana Ritual that invokes peace for the community through the spray of sasa bamboo

What to expect

The ritual begins with a large cauldron and hagama cauldrons being lined up along the sando.

At each cauldron, a shinshoku dressed in white dips sasa bamboo into the hot water and sprinkles it; afterward, the donors bathe in the water.

The donor embraces the shinshoku around the waist and pulls them away from the cauldron, turning them to face the shinshoku known as the Kenza.

The Kenza recites prayers, and this sequence is carried out at every cauldron.

Location and access

Venue and address

Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine, Shin-Numa area, Sanbongi, Osaki City

Address Shin-Numa area, Sanbongi, Osaki City

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Dates and season

Season

The night of day 18 of lunar month 9

Frequency

Every year

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Nearby attractions

Museums and art museumsOsaki City

感覚ミュージアム

宮城県大崎市にあるミュージアム

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写真：Yauchi / Public domain(resized and reformatted)

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Facility data source

Museums and art museumsOsaki City

鎌田三之助展示室

宮城県大崎市の博物館・美術館のスポットです。

Visit the official page ↗ⓘ Photo and data sources

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写真：cora_cola 茶々丸 / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Facility data source

Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Yubana Ritual at Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine

Written records trace the history of the Yubana Ritual at Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine back to the early modern period.

Although it has changed over time, it is confirmed to have retained its traditional form in broad outline.

It is still held according to the lunar calendar, and households continue to offer their own cauldrons.

The community’s role in passing down the ritual is valued, including the custom of displaying the sasa bamboo and wooden stakes used in the ritual at each household as protection against misfortune.

Official information

Miyagi Prefecture introduces it as a prefecture-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property (folk customs).

The page describes it as a boiling-water ritual passed down in the Shin-Numa area of Sanbongi, Osaki City, and explains the ritual’s steps, origins, and how it is carried on in the community.

Yubana Ritual at Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine at a Glance

The Yubana Ritual at Wakamiya Hachiman Shrine is a boiling-water ritual held every year on the night of day 18 of lunar month 9 in the Shin-Numa area of Sanbongi, Osaki City.

Cauldrons are lined up, hot water is sprinkled with sasa bamboo, donors bathe in the water, and the Kenza recites prayers; through these steps, people pray for good health and protection from illness, as well as the well-being of the community.

This prefecture-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property preserves a history reaching back to the early modern period and the tradition of household offerings.