A festival of prayer dating back to the Edo period, with a procession of large fans and mikoshi linking the towns
Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Sunday in July / Every year
- Location
- Within the Yamakata Ten'ei area (12 locations in Okazaki City and 1 location in Kota Town)
- Area
- Aichi Prefecture・Okazaki 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.
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival is a festival in which a procession featuring a , large fans, and flower umbrellas is handed down from town to town within the ten'ei district. This tradition, dating back to the Edo period, carries prayers for abundant harvests and the safety of the community.
About Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival
The Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival, formally called the Kōtaijingū Otaogi Festival, is a festival held under the ten'ei system of the Okazaki Domain.
A procession accompanied by decorative floats such as a mikoshi, large fans, and flower umbrellas travels from town to town within the ten'ei district.
The festival carries prayers for abundant harvests, the safety of the community, and peace throughout the land, while passing on local ties and rural traditions.
Festival highlights
The main highlight is the procession, led by a mikoshi and accompanied by sacred lanterns, fans, flags, , flower umbrellas, bonten poles, and the towns’ banners.
The festival is also known for using a large fan to drive insects out of the rice fields, and its procession reflects prayers connected to farming.
One distinctive feature is that the procession heads to a different town each year, as 13 towns take turns hosting it on a rotating annual basis.
Source: 山方手永御田扇祭 ｜イベント｜岡崎おでかけナビ - 岡崎市観光協会公式サイト
A festival of prayer dating back to the Edo period, with a procession of large fans and mikoshi linking the towns
What to expect
The festival begins with a , followed by the departure of the procession, as the mikoshi and ceremonial objects proceed from town to town.
After the procession arrives, the festival is handed over to the receiving town, passing it from one community to another.
Past event programs have listed the sequence as a Shinto ritual, procession, handover ceremony, and arrival of the procession.
Location and access
- Venue and address
It is held within the Yamakata Ten'ei area.
The festival comprises 12 locations in Okazaki City and 1 location in Kota Town, with the procession traveling from town to town.
Address Within the Yamakata Ten'ei area: 12 locations in Okazaki City and 1 location in Kota Town
Dates and season
- Season
Sunday in July
- 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 Aichi Prefecture / Okazaki City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
岡崎城
愛知県の城
Origins and History of Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival
The Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival is a festival held under the ten'ei system established in the territory of the Okazaki Domain during the Edo period.
Historical records confirm the festival’s existence in Horeki 6 (1756); from Meiwa 6 (1769) onward, it was held in each of the six ten'ei districts.
Today, the procession is carried on by Tsutsumi-dori Ten'ei and Yamakata Ten'ei.
Official information
Okazaki City’s official information introduces the Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival as an intangible folk cultural property designated by Okazaki City.
The festival is preserved by the Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival Preservation Society.
Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival at a Glance
The Yamakata Ten'ei Otaogi Festival is a festival dating back to the Edo period, carrying prayers for farming and the safety of the community.
A procession featuring a mikoshi, a large fan, and flower umbrellas travels among the towns of Yamakata Ten'ei on a rotating annual basis.
It is carefully passed from town to town as a cultural property of the area spanning Okazaki City and Kota Town.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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