A festival of the Yama no Kami and ancestral spirits in Shimizu, linked by the five grains and straw ornaments
Yama no Kami Festival in Shimizu, Yuu Town
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- For 2 days at the beginning of January / Every 5 years
- Location
- The festival site in the forest of Yama no Kami (Morisama), tōya household
- Area
- Yamaguchi Prefecture・Iwakuni City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 35 min–1 h 55 min · flight time only)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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
This is a festival passed down in Shimizu, Yuu Town, Iwakuni City, where ancestral spirits are welcomed in the forest of Yama no Kami. The community’s traditions continue to be passed on, from offering the five grains to preparations at the tōya household and rites around the sacred trees.
About Yama no Kami Festival in Shimizu, Yuu Town
The Yama no Kami Festival in Shimizu, Yuu Town, is a festival passed down in the Shimizu district, a mountainous area in the northwestern part of Yuu Town, Iwakuni City.
For 2 days at the beginning of January every 5 years, the festival is held at the home chosen by lottery as the tōya household and at the festival site in the forest of Yama no Kami.
The festival preserves an ancient tradition of welcoming into the forest the ancestral spirits who bring abundant harvests and protect the villagers, and offers the five grains associated with slash-and-burn agriculture.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the sacred tree of the male deity and that of the female deity in the forest of Yama no Kami.
Large oak and cedar trees are wrapped with body-wrap straw mats and large straw , secured with small shimenawa to mark out the sacred space.
Between the 2 sacred trees, with a stream running between them, people performed , rites accompanied by flute and , and a custom of throwing mochi and sea bream to one another.
A festival of the Yama no Kami and ancestral spirits in Shimizu, linked by the five grains and straw ornaments
What to expect
The festival begins with choosing the tōya household and discussing the schedule and roles.
They make omizuzake, twist shimenawa, pound mochi, clean the forest of Yama no Kami, and decorate the sacred trees.
On the eve of the festival, the altar is prepared, followed by a purification rite and a hearth festival. The main festival proceeds with a house purification, shishimai, a goshinkō procession, rites at both sacred trees, and a lottery to choose the next tōya household.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The festival site in the forest of Yama no Kami (Morisama) in the Shimizu district, a mountainous area in the northwestern part of Yuu Town, Iwakuni City / tōya household
Address The Shimizu district in a mountainous area in the northwestern part of Yuu Town, Iwakuni City
Dates and season
- Season
For 2 days at the beginning of January
- Frequency
Every 5 years
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 Yamaguchi Prefecture / Iwakuni City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
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Origins and History of Yama no Kami Festival in Shimizu, Yuu Town
In the past, the festival was divided between the Upper Group and Lower Group, with a stream as the boundary. The Upper Group worshipped the male deity, and the Lower Group worshipped the female deity separately.
Today, it is held together as an event for the entire district.
It is said that the festival’s proceedings and content changed after the war along with changes in people’s lifestyles. However, records note that the Yama no Kami Festival itself remains unchanged from the past, as passed down through tradition.
In Heisei 3, it was designated an intangible folk cultural property by the prefecture.
Official information
山口県「文化財・山口県の文化財」掲載ページ：山口県/観光スポーツ文化部文化振興課/文化財・山口県の文化財
Yama no Kami Festival in Shimizu, Yuu Town at a Glance
The Yama no Kami Festival in Shimizu, Yuu Town, is a festival of Yama no Kami passed down in the Shimizu district every 5 years.
The festival welcomes ancestral spirits into the forest with offerings of the five grains, followed by preparations at the tōya household, the eve-of-festival observances, and the goshinkō procession and rites of the main festival.
Distinctive features include sacred trees for the male and female deities, straw shimenawa, shishimai, flute and taiko, and a custom of throwing mochi and sea bream to one another.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
