Yonekawa no Mizukaburi

Festival highlights

One highlight is the group wearing straw costumes and headgear as they run through town, shouting.

Water is prepared at homes along the route, and the distinctive fire-prevention ritual of splashing water onto roofs takes place.

A custom unique to this event is for people to pull straw from the costumes and place it on their roofs as a talisman for protection from fire.

Separately, Hio, who rings a bell, and Okame, who carries a bucket, visit homes.

A fire-prevention ritual passed down in Yonekawa, with a group in straw costumes racing through town

What to expect

The event begins with a prayer at Akiba Daigongen, located within the grounds of Daiji-ji Temple.

The group in straw costumes heads into town, running past homes and splashing water onto their roofs as they pray for protection from fire throughout the community.

Along the route, straw is pulled from the costumes and placed on roofs.

Separately, a pair dressed as Hio and Okame visit homes and receive celebratory gifts.

Location and access

Venue and address

Daiji-ji Temple Main Gate Plaza (56 Machishita, Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture)

Train and bus

About 40 minutes by rental car or taxi from Kurikoma-Kogen Station on the JR Tohoku Shinkansen.

About 30 minutes by rental car or taxi from Ishikoshi Station on the JR Tohoku Main Line.

By car

About 15 minutes from Tome-Towa IC on the Sanriku Expressway, or about 40 minutes from Wakayanagi-Kanari IC on the Tohoku Expressway.

Address 56 Machishita, Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture

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Dates and season

2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)

In 2026, the event was scheduled for February 1 (Sunday), with the procession setting off at 10:30 a.m.

The event is held each year on the first day of the Horse in February, with its date set to coincide with that day.

According to the 2026 event information, the venue is the Daiji-ji Temple Main Gate Plaza.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The procession runs through town while water is splashed onto roofs, so people along the route may get wet.

A local custom also says not to eat anything colored until the procession has passed.

Since people may pull straw from the costumes and place it on their roofs, it is important to watch without obstructing the procession or the homes along the route.

Source: 指定文化財〈重要無形民俗文化財〉米川の水かぶり - 宮城県公式ウェブサイト

Nearby attractions

Daiji-ji Temple, the venue, enshrines Akiba Daigongen within its grounds; participants visit the shrine during Yonekawa no Mizukaburi.

After setting out from Daiji-ji Temple, the procession passes through Itsuka-machi and also visits Hachiman Shrine and Wakakusa Shrine.

These are places confirmed as stops along the event procession.

No specific information confirming a connection between nearby tourist facilities or restaurants and the festival venue is available.

Source: 国指定文化財等データベース

Museums and art museumsTome City

旧登米高等尋常小学校校舎

宮城県登米市にある歴史的建造物

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写真：Kumamushi / CC BY 3.0(resized and reformatted)

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Museums and art museumsTome City

登米懐古館

宮城県登米市にある博物館

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写真：石巻敎祖 / CC BY 4.0

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Parks and gardensHachinohe City · Hashikami Town · 久慈市 · 山田町 · 釜石市 · Rikuzentakata City · 野田村 · Miyako City · 岩泉町 · 田野畑村 · 大槌町 · 大船渡市 · Fudai Village · 女川町 · Ishinomaki City · Tome City · 南三陸町 · 気仙沼市

三陸復興国立公園

東北地方の三陸沿岸を区域とする国立公園

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写真：Junpei Satoh / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)

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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 Yonekawa no Mizukaburi

There are no records of the event's origins, so its exact beginnings are unknown.

Daiji-ji Temple says that it began as a practice of the monks on the first day of the Horse in February, every year, during the period when Fujiwara no Hidehira founded the temple in the late 12th century.

Later, young people from Itsuka-machi are said to have joined in as a form of purification from misfortune, and the event has been passed down ever since.

The event was designated an intangible folk cultural property by Towa Town in Showa 46, by Miyagi Prefecture in Heisei 3, and by the national government in Heisei 12. It was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage element in Heisei 30.

Source: 米川の水かぶり | 大慈寺のご紹介 | 大慈寺

Official information

Event information is available on the official Tome City website.

The event's designation as a cultural property and its customs are also introduced on the official Miyagi Prefecture website.

Daiji-ji Temple's official website provides information about the event's transmission and the history of its cultural property designation.

Visit the official website

Yonekawa no Mizukaburi at a Glance

Yonekawa no Mizukaburi is a fire-prevention ritual passed down in Yonekawa, Towa-cho, Tome City.

After a group dressed in straw costumes prays at Akiba Daigongen, they run through town, splashing water onto the roofs of homes. Straw from their costumes is placed on roofs as a talisman for protection from fire.

In 2026, the group was scheduled to set off at 10:30 a.m. from Daiji-ji Temple Main Gate Plaza on February 1.