The Puppets’ Dance and Sumo of Hachiman Furukoto Shrine

Festival highlights

Highlights include Hosohito-mai, in which puppets depicting the gods dance, and kami-zumo, in which gods representing the east and west wrestle.

Kami-zumo features 3 bouts: knockout sumo, flying-tackle sumo, and pushing sumo. The small Sumiyoshi Okami takes on the larger gods.

Finally, the Yaotome-mai is performed by goddesses representing the east and west, bringing the dance and sumo together in a sequence of offering performances.

Wooden gods dance and tell their stories through sumo: an ancient offering performance in Yoshitomi Town

What to expect

The offering begins with dance and song. After the puppet figures of the gods appear, it moves on to knockout sumo, flying-tackle sumo, and pushing sumo.

Another dance follows the sumo, and the full performance lasts about 1.5 hours.

During the day, part of the performance is presented aboard a boat offshore; at night, it is offered at the Shinbu-den hall within the shrine grounds.

Location and access

Venue and address

Hachiman Furukoto Shrine (Koinumaru, Yoshitomi Town).

Source: 【1】宇佐宮支配下の八幡古表文化 | 福岡県築上郡 吉富町行政サイト

Event venue 福岡県吉富町 八幡古表神社

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

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Dates and season

The Saio Dance and Sacred Sumo are performed once every 4 years at the Hojo-e ceremony at Hachiman Kofute Shrine.

The event is held during the summer grand festival in early August, with offerings performed aboard boats during the day and at the Shinmaiden at night.

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Origins and History of The Puppets’ Dance and Sumo of Hachiman Furukoto Shrine

It is said to have originated at the Hōjō-e festival of Usa Shrine, which began in the Nara period, when puppets aboard the Furukoto-bune boat offered a dance.

According to information from Yoshitomi Town, Hosohito-mai and kami-zumo began in the Kamakura period and were fully revived in the early Showa period.

Offerings at the Hōjō-e festival are also recorded for 1420 in the Muromachi period and 1617 in the Edo period. Today, the preservation society carries on the tradition.

Official information

The Yoshikoi! Yoshitomi tourism and local products website provides information about Hosohito-mai and kami-zumo at Hachiman Furukoto Shrine, the kami-zumo bouts, and how often the event is held.

The designation details can also be checked in the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties.

The Puppets’ Dance and Sumo of Hachiman Furukoto Shrine at a Glance

The Puppets’ Dance and Sumo of Hachiman Furukoto Shrine is a traditional offering performance in Yoshitomi Town, in which wooden puppets perform dances and sumo bouts as gods.

A distinctive feature is its structure, which progresses through knockout sumo, flying-tackle sumo, and pushing sumo before moving on to the Yaotome-mai dance.

It is performed once every 4 years at the Hōjō-e festival held at the beginning of August, and is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.