Murone Shrine Special Grand Festival "Matsuriba Ritual"
Japanese name:室根神社特別大祭「マツリバ行事」
📅 Fri, Oct 23, 2026 - Sun, Oct 25, 2026
📍 Ichinoseki, Iwate
About this event
The Murone Shrine Special Grand Festival is a festival with a history of approximately 1,300 years that firmly preserves and continues ancient traditions. The Shinto ritual officiants serving the festival are descendants of ancient Shinto officiants, and the festival is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. During the period, festival floats, feudal lord processions (daimyo gyoretsu), and Aramasenzin (vanguard wild horse riders) parade through the town. In the early morning hours of the final day, Shinto rituals are conducted at Murone Shrine; mikoshi (portable shrines) depart from the Hon-gu (Main Shrine) and Shin-gu (New Shrine) and rush down Mount Murone to the temporary shrine in the town, competing to arrive first. Due to its fierce bravery, it is counted as one of the Three Great Wild Festivals of Oshu (Tohoku). Highlights include the Aramasenzin, equestrian procession, and Horo Matsuri.
Official website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Murone Shrine
2 Orikabemuroneyama, Murone-cho, Ichinoseki-shi, Iwate 029-1201
Open in Google Maps ↗