Mushi-okuri in Yamada-cho: entrusting wishes to protect the rice crop to torches and sound
“Mushi-okuri” in Yamada-cho
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on June 16 / Every year
- Location
- The three districts of Kami-Yamada, Naka-Yamada, and Shimo-Yamada
- Area
- Nara Prefecture・Tenri City(From Tokyo: approx. 3 h–3 h 30 min · bullet train + connecting 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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
This is a traditional event in which people parade through the three districts of Yamada-cho as the flames of torches and the sounds of gongs and drums echo around them. It has been passed down as a practice to drive away rice pests, hold rites for the insects, and pray for a good harvest.
About “Mushi-okuri” in Yamada-cho
“Mushi-okuri” in Yamada-cho is a traditional event held to drive away pests that attack rice plants.
In Yamada-cho, Tenri City, it is held every year on June 16 in the three settlements of Kami-Yamada, Naka-Yamada, and Shimo-Yamada.
From evening into night, residents gather carrying torches and parade through the districts while sounding gongs and drums.
It is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Tenri City.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the sight of residents gathered from individual households, carrying torches and moving through the districts to the sounds of gongs and drums.
The event takes place in the three districts of Kami-Yamada, Naka-Yamada, and Shimo-Yamada, with processions along district roads and paths beside rice fields.
According to tradition, when the procession reaches the edge of the district, the torches are floated down the river to conclude the event.
The event brings together torchlight, the sounds of percussion instruments, and paths through the countryside.
Mushi-okuri in Yamada-cho: entrusting wishes to protect the rice crop to torches and sound
What to expect
The event begins as residents gather from individual households, each carrying a torch.
From evening into night, they proceed in a procession through the districts, sounding gongs and drums, and parade along paths beside rice fields and other local roads.
At the riverbank on the outskirts of town or the edge of the district, the torches are floated down the river to conclude the event.
Another account also describes a version in which prayer tablets are distributed to the three districts after a prayer gathering, and the event concludes by burning the torches.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Yamada-cho, Tenri City (the three districts of Kami-Yamada, Naka-Yamada, and Shimo-Yamada)
- By car
15 minutes by car from Fukusumi IC on the Nishi-Meihan Expressway
Address Yamada-cho, Tenri City, Nara Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on June 16
- Frequency
Every year
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 Nara Prefecture / Tenri City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
大和神社
奈良県天理市にある神社
天理参考館
奈良県天理市にある民俗学・考古学系の博物館
石上神宮
奈良県天理市布留町にある神社
Origins and History of “Mushi-okuri” in Yamada-cho
Mushi-okuri is a pest-repelling event that was held in farming villages across Japan until around the beginning of the Showa era.
In Yamada-cho, the event continues in the three districts of Kami-Yamada, Naka-Yamada, and Shimo-Yamada, held on June 16, during the period when rice pests emerge.
It was designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Tenri City on March 29, Heisei 12.
A 2022 account describes it as a surviving traditional event, even as the number of places holding it in the prefecture has declined.
Official information
The cultural property information on Tenri City’s official website lists the timing, activities, and cultural property designation of “Mushi-okuri” in Yamada-cho.
“Mushi-okuri” in Yamada-cho at a Glance
“Mushi-okuri” in Yamada-cho is a traditional event to drive away rice pests, hold rites for the insects, and pray for a good harvest.
Every year on June 16, residents carry torches and parade through the three districts of Kami-Yamada, Naka-Yamada, and Shimo-Yamada, sounding gongs and drums.
The event concludes by letting the torches float down the river or burning them on the riverbank.
It is recorded as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by Tenri City.
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
