Niino Shimotsuki Festival

About this event

This is a traditional festival passed down in the Niino district of Anan Town, Nagano Prefecture. In the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, a time when the vitality of all living things is believed to decline, deities from across the country are invited to pray for good health, regional peace, the fulfillment of prayers, and the rebirth of all creation. The festival is held over two days, performed with ancient rites at Izu Shrine on the first day and at Suwa Shrine on the second day. In this ritual, water is boiled in a large cauldron before the deities, and a Shinto priest sprinkles and blesses the shrine's four directions and worshippers with the hot water using a "yutabusa" (a bundle of bamboo grass). Afterward, priests and dancers holding swords, yutabusa, and bells dedicate dances such as the "Yutabusa no Mai" and "Kanayama no Mai" around the cauldron to the sounds of flutes and drums. Finally, name plaques of those who offered prayers are cast into the furnace to see off the deities, and hot water from the cauldron is distributed to all participants. The starting time is 17:00 on both days, and general viewing is prohibited.

Venue

Suwa Shrine

462 Niino, Anan, Shimoina District, Nagano 399-1612