Festival

Mukogata Okiyome Festival

Japanese name:向方のお潔め祭り

📅 Sun, Jan 3, 2027

📍 Tenryu, Nagano

About this event

This is one of the Shimotsuki Kagura rituals of Tenryu Village, designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. It is held every year on January 3 at the Tensho Kotaijinja Shrine in the Mukogata district, located in the southwestern part of Tenryu Village. This festival is a Yudate Kagura performed without masks, featuring sacred boiling water dances such as "Hana no Yotome no Mai," "Yotsumai," "Mitsumai," "Koden no Mai," and "Hibuse," performed while holding fans, yachigo, swords, and other ritual implements. At the end of the festival, all shrine attendants and villagers gather around the cauldron, chanting songs while boiling water and praying for happiness in the new year. It is a traditional community-rooted festival that also gave its name to the Tenryu Onsen "Okiyome-no-Yu."

Official website (Japanese) ↗

Venue

Tensho Kotaijinja Shrine

3884 Kamihara, Tenryu-mura, Shimoina-gun, Nagano 399-1202

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