Taga Taisha Shrine Nuibosai (Rice Ear Harvesting Ritual)

About this event

At Taga Taisha Shrine in Taga Town, Shiga Prefecture, the Nuibosai festival is held every year on Sunday, September 20. This Shinto ritual takes place when the rice seedlings planted during the Otaue Matsuri (Rice Planting Festival) on June 6 bear abundant grain, expressing gratitude for agricultural culture during the harvest season. Following the Karihajime-no-Gi (first reaping ritual) performed by Shinto priests, approximately 20 nuibome (rice-harvesting maidens) chosen from the Honenko (bountiful year association) and parishioner communities line up in front of the sacred rice field, wearing sedge hats and red tasuki sashes. They then carefully harvest the rice ears bundle by bundle using sickles. The rice ears reaped during this ritual are offered before the deities by the nuibotsukasa (chief harvester) and are later hulled into brown rice to be dedicated at the Niinamesai (Harvest Festival) on November 23. Sticky rice (mochigome) is grown as the variety, and nearly 500 kg is harvested each year. This ritual has been held annually since 2000 (Heisei 12) to pass down gratitude for the agricultural heritage that shaped Japanese history to future generations.

Venue

Taga Taisha Shrine Sacred Rice Field

Taga, Taga-cho, Inukami-gun, Shiga 522-0341