📣 March 5 only! Enjoy sumo and Shinto at Ohtori Grand Shrine 🏯💪

A rare experience plan lets you watch Arashio-beya’s morning sumo practice at Ohtori Grand Shrine and attend a special talk by a Shinto priest titled “Shinto and Sumo.” ✨

👀 This is your chance to see rikishi train up close with the same intensity as in competition!
The talk on the deep ties between Shinto and sumo will make watching matches even more enjoyable. 🎤

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, March 5
💰 Fee: 5,500 yen (about 3.5 hours)
📬 Registration deadline: One week before the event date
✨ Participants will also receive commemorative gifts from Ohtori Grand Shrine and Arashio-beya!
🔍 For details and to apply, check the “Experience Tours & Plans” section via the URL in our profile.

【2025 (Reiwa 7) Ando Family Residence Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival)】
National Important Cultural Property Ando Family Residence will celebrate the peach festival again this year.
More than 300 dolls from the Edo period to the Showa era are on display.
Yamanashi Prefecture's own Hina doll, "Yokosawa Bina", will also be exhibited.
Events of koto concerts during the period will also be held, so please enjoy the rich sound.
Date and time: February 13 (Thu) ~ April 7 (Mon), 2025 (Reiwa 7)
Opening hours: 9 a.m. ~ 4:30 p.m. (last admission at 4 p.m.) (*Closed on Tuesdays)
Admission fee General 300 yen Elementary, junior high and high school students 100 yen (*Infants free)

【Ando Family Residence】4302 ☎Seinan Lake, Minami-Alps City 055-284-4448
[Cultural Properties Division, Board of Education] ☎055-282-7269

【Dondoyaki 2025】Ashian District

This is the Scene of the Little New Year's Festival "Dondoyaki" held the other day.
Although there are differences in decorations from region to region, Dango made of Rice flour (Mayu Balls) are attached to branches and burned over a fire, and they pray for a year without illness or disaster, a bountiful harvest of five grains, and the safety of the family.

Visiting the site the handiwork of Japan craftsmen up close!
Introducing 5 kilns where you can Visiting the site of Echizen pottery Workshop

One of the six ancient kilns in Japan, "Echizen pottery".
It has been selected as a Japan heritage site and is a traditional craft that has continued since the Heian period.

Echizen Town is also known as the production area of Echizen pottery, and there are documents such as the Fukui Prefectural Pottery Museum and the Echizen Ancient Kiln Museum in Echizen Pottery Village, where you can learn about Echizen pottery

I want to feel Echizen pottery even more realistically! For those who say, we recommend a direct visit to the kiln of Echizen pottery.
You can actually see the handiwork of craftsmen in front of you.

This time Workshop we would like to introduce five potters who accept Visiting the site.

・・・

●Hosaigama, Mr. Yoshida
He was born in Echizen Town (formerly Oda Town), the production area of Echizen pottery, so he went on to the path of pottery.
Focusing on Reproduction of the colors of Nature with a sense of the seasons, I am also working hard to create works for Japanese exhibitions and contemporary craft exhibitions in addition to making ceramics.
Recently, together with my son, I am working hard every day to convey the charm of Echizen pottery with two generations of parents and children.

About Toyosai Kiln
https://www.echizenyaki.com/en/pottery/detail.php?Num=10
https://www.instagram.com/housaigama_tougei/

●Toseisha Izumi
At the age of 35, he moved from Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture to Echizen Town, Fukui Prefecture.
I like the environment where I can concentrate on creating works in the idyllic Satoyama atmosphere.
Mr. Izumi is characterized by his works with a simple texture for everyday use. He is a potter who places great importance on contact with customers, such as pottery experiences on business trips.

More about Toseisha
https://www.echizenyaki.com/en/pottery/detail.php?Num=11
https://www.instagram.com/touseisya/

●Furaigama / Oya
Oya was born in Osohara in his Local Echizen Town (former Miyazaki Village).
I grew up in a pottery family, where both my father and mother were potters.
He aims to create works that are fun and relaxing to use, and his cute works with animal motifs are also eye-catching.

About Furai Kiln
https://www.echizenyaki.com/en/pottery/detail.php?Num=2
https://www.instagram.com/furaigama/

●Hyuga Workshop, Hyuga-san
Mr. Hinata went from being a trainee of Echizen pottery to the path of Echizen pottery, and is still encouraged to train the next generation.
Echizen pottery, which tends to give a plain impression, is working on making brightly colored glazes to attract the attention of young people and urban people as much as possible.

About Hyuga Workshop
https://www.echizenyaki.com/en/pottery/detail.php?Num=14

●Seedling kiln (Mishogama), Mr. Shindo
While studying art at university, I wanted to create my own things, so I entered the world of ceramics, where I could create my favorite shapes with three-dimensional objects.
Echizen pottery is a place where I like the freedom of the artist to have his or her own style, the climate that nurtures the artist, and the atmosphere of the land.
He is characterized by his works using the powdering technique (white makeup), and continues to make everyday vessels that are rooted in the life that he wishes he had.

About the seedling kiln
https://www.instagram.com/mishougama/

========
More about Workshop Visiting the site
========
Reservations are required in advance, so please check the following for details.

●Echizen Pottery Traditional Japanese straw raincoat to apply for a Visiting the site Workshop kiln source stream
1. Please let us know the date and time you would like to Visiting the site
* If you have a designation for the kiln you wish to visiting the site, please let us know at the time of application.
↓
2. After confirming the application details, we will contact you to see if you can Visiting the site.
* Implementation cannot be carried out on the desired date, we will ask for another desired date.
↓
3. Please come to the designated place on the day of the event.

≪Acceptable kiln source≫
・Toyosai Kiln (Toyoichi Yoshida, Yuki)
・Toseisha (Naoki Izumi)
・Furai Kiln (Uichiro Oya)
・Hyuga Workshop (Hikaru Hyuga)
・Seedling kiln (Satoko Shindo)
(As of January 2025)

≪ Visiting the site fee≫
Workshop Visiting the site: 500 yen ~ 1,650 yen per person (tax included)
* Fee varies depending on the kiln.

≪Where to apply≫
Echizen Tourism Federation
From the Internet
https://www.town-echizen.jp/locotabi/archives/product/202202_001

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This Account is the official Account of the Echizen Tourism Federation (DMO ECHIZEN).
We are delivering the latest information and seasonal topics of Echizen Town, Fukui Prefecture.

👇 Information is also being broadcast on each social media
◎ Instagram / ECHIZEN_COLORS(@echizen_colors)
https://www.instagram.com/echizen_colors/
◎ Facebook / Like! Echizen Loco Trip
https://www.facebook.com/echizenkankou
◎X / Like! Echizen Loco Trip
https://x.com/e_kankou

👇 Tourist information in each language can be found below.
◎Echizen tourism Navi
https://www.town-echizen.jp/en/
◎ Circumstances Fukui 縣 Echizen Town 景點
https://www.town-echizen.jp/zh-CN/
◎ Circumstances Fukui 縣 Echizen Town 景點
https://www.town-echizen.jp/zh-TW/
◎후쿠이 현 에치젠 쵸 관광 정보｜
https://www.town-echizen.jp/ko/
◆～◇～◆～◇～◆～◇～◆～◇～◆～◇～◆～◇～◆～◇～◆～◇～◆
https://www.town-echizen.jp/locotabi/archives/product/202202_001

Fire Department New-Year Review Ceremony

Today, Sunday, January 5, the fire brigade held its New-Year review ceremony at the Town Hall Parking Lot 🚒✨

The car thermometer read minus 4°C as we headed to the scene 😂 It was a freezing ceremony ❄️
Although I was fully bundled up and cheekily stood near the heater to take photos…

The firefighters formed ranks with a poised, unfazed bearing that made them look truly impressive…👏

The squad training demonstration showed sharp, disciplined movements born of daily practice, which was extremely reassuring 🥹✨

The mass water discharge that followed sent colorful columns of water high into the sky and was incredibly powerful 🤩

They moved a fair distance to prepare before the discharge, and thanks to everyone’s perfectly synchronized, efficient actions it proceeded smoothly; I’m truly grateful for the fire brigade’s daily efforts 🙇‍♀️！

The ceremony concluded without issue after awards were presented to firefighting personnel, brigade members, distinguished contributors to firefighting, and families who support the brigade 🏆💫

To the fire brigade, who always protect our town and keep residents safe in their daily lives, thank you so much ✨

The 3rd Hosono Highlands Yamayaki Experience

🏔 What Hosono Highlands Is Like 🏔
Hosono Highlands spreads across the slopes of Mt. Amagi, which erupted between 800,000 and 200,000 years ago. The plateau covers about 125 hectares—roughly the size of 26 Tokyo Domes—and offers a majestic expanse of grassland. It is said to be a treasure trove of flora and fauna nurtured by volcanic terrain.
In spring, you can forage for mountain vegetables such as bracken amid fresh greenery. In autumn, vast stands of golden susuki (silver grass) create a spectacular display. From the summit you can see Sagami Bay and the Izu Islands, where meadow and seascape combine into a unique panorama.

Inatori Hosono Highlands has been recognized among the 100 Grassland Villages We Want to Preserve for the Future for the value of local knowledge, awareness, and skills accumulated through long interaction between people and nature.
Hosono Highlands conducts an annual yamayaki (controlled burn) to maintain the grassland. During walks you can observe grass-cutting work performed in preparation for the burn.
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🔥⛰ What “Yamayaki” Means ⛰🔥

Yamayaki is an essential annual practice to keep Hosono Highlands as open grassland.
By burning overgrown grasses and shrubs, the area is prevented from turning into forest, and the burned vegetation returns nutrients to the soil to sustain a rich grassland.

This yamayaki has continued every year at Hosono Highlands since the Edo period.

Because the plateau borders neighboring Kawazu Town, preventing fire from spreading across boundaries is critical, and the work must address elevation changes and steep slopes, so seasoned experience and

advanced fire-management know-how are required.
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● Event Overview

Yamayaki is an activity necessary to keep Hosono Highlands as grassland and has continued annually since the Edo period.
As a first trial in February 2023, we opened the yamayaki on a very limited basis and offered it as a guided tour for observation.
To help more people learn about this tradition in greater depth, we will hold the Yamayaki Experience again in 2025.
Please come and witness the overwhelming sight of the landscape ablaze.

● Event Schedule — Saturday, February 8, 2025
Date and time: Saturday, 2/8, 10:30–15:30 (scheduled)
10:30: Assemble and register at Inatori Hosono Highlands Parking Lot No. 2
11:00: Yamayaki viewing (guided yamayaki explanation, lunch provided)
14:00: Post-yamayaki walk (guided)
15:30: End of program and dismissal (Program order may change depending on yamayaki progress; please understand in advance.)
Meeting/registration location: Inatori Hosono Highlands Parking Lot No. 2 (parking spaces available)
➡ On the day of the yamayaki, general vehicles are not allowed into Parking Lot No. 1. Please park at the foothill Parking Lot No. 2.
There is no public transportation to the venue. Please use your own means of transport to access the site.

Participation Conditions
・Capacity is limited to 30 participants.
・Participants who are junior high school age or younger must be accompanied by a guardian.
・Please apply only if you fully understand the safety notes and on-site hazards.

Participation Fee
3,500 yen per person. Includes admission, consumption tax, local guide, lunch, insurance, and grassland management fee (1,000 yen).
※The participation fee is payable on site on the day of the event.
※We will contact you by email in advance and on the day about the event. Please note you cannot apply without an email address.

How to Apply
Please apply by entering the required information on the Higashiizu Town Tourist Association event page.
https://www.e-izu.org/?p=we-page-entry&spot=568220&cat=23649&pageno=3&type=spot
Or call the Higashiizu Tourist Association (TEL: 0557-95-0700) to register by phone.

● Notes and Precautions
About Participation in Work
This event is for observing the yamayaki. You may not take part in fire-starting or other operational tasks.
Cancellation Decisions
Yamayaki may be canceled on the morning of the event due to weather conditions (wind, humidity, rain, etc.). If yamayaki is canceled, this event will also be canceled. There are no substitute events. Please register only if you accept these cancellation conditions.
What to Wear on the Day
Yamayaki is a very dangerous operation, and flying embers or smoldering debris may be present.
Please wear flame-resistant clothing with minimal exposed skin.
All activities at the site are outdoors, so please prepare for cold weather.
Guide Language
Guidance is provided in Japanese only. Thank you for your understanding.

Cancellation Policy
If the event is canceled or you cancel, we will charge cancellation fees as follows.

If yamayaki itself is canceled due to severe weather (strong wind, dry conditions, rain, etc.), no payment will be charged.
If you cancel for personal reasons:
・Cancellation on the day or the day before → 100% of the event fee will be charged.
・Cancellation two days or more before → 0% cancellation fee.
・No-show without notice → 100% of the event fee will be charged.
*We may also claim actual communication costs or other damages where applicable.
For cancellations due to unavoidable events such as disasters, please contact the organizer.

If the organizer cancels for reasons other than weather, we will consult with participants and refund an appropriate amount.


Items to Bring
・Flame-resistant (fire-retardant) and warm clothing
・Clothes you don’t mind getting stained by sparks or soot
・Well-broken-in shoes
https://www.e-izu.org/?p=we-page-entry&spot=568220&cat=23649&pageno=3&type=spot

I took a picture of my son and wife playing in the snow at the Saiko Healing Village in Kawaguchiko Towns.

Ginji Katsura Rakugo Performance

Today, December 15, a rakugo performance by Ginji Katsura, who hails from Nobeoka and is also active in Tokyo, took place🪭✨

This event held the morning show at Kurun and the afternoon show at Kuraokakurara🤗

As a poster, this was my first time seeing live rakugo properly, and I was very excited to watch🤩✨

Rakugo uses almost no props!
Performers remain seated, using only a tenugui (hand towel) and a sensu (folding fan), skillfully expressing characters through gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact😯
They make the audience imagine the scene, delivering stories that end with a punchline that makes you laugh out loud🤭

It was truly funny, and I listened with excitement wondering how each punchline would land🤣💫

The scene of eating soba was especially striking. It was incredible—he really made it seem like he was eating. It looked delicious🤤💕 lol

In the afternoon, students from Gokase Secondary School also came to watch, and the venue filled with laughter✨

A boy of around five laughed out loud too, and I felt rakugo is a wonderful art that transcends gender and age😳

He kindly agreed to commemorative photos, and both the morning and afternoon shows provided a consistently enjoyable time🥹👏

I hope he will hold another rakugo performance in Gokase soon🤗✨
Thank you very much for today, Ginji Katsura👏👏👏

Ceremony for the Opening of Prefectural Route Taketa–Gokase, Habu Section

Today, Friday, December 13, the opening ceremony for the Habu section of the Taketa–Gokase Line took place in the Kuwanouchi area 🤩👏

The Taketa–Gokase Line is an important road that starts in Taketa, Oita Prefecture, passes through Takamori and Takachiho, and ends in Gokase

Construction on the Habu section, a part of that route, has been completed, and today’s ceremony marked its opening 👏

First, a Shinto ritual was performed by the priests of Kuwanouchi Shrine and Futono Shrine to celebrate the road’s opening and pray for safety going forward 😌🙏

After that, distinguished guests cut the ribbon, and all the students of Kamigumi Elementary School opened a decorative paper ball, officially opening the road 🎊

Next, as a ceremonial first passage, Kuwanouchi kagura was performed 👹✨ This special kagura is said to be danced only at ceremonies 😳

During the kagura performance, participants released balloons, and many balloons colored the wide blue sky over Kuwanouchi 🎈👋

By the time the rituals concluded, the cold wind that had blown since morning had died down and the sun brought warm, calm weather for the opening ceremony ☀️

We hope the remaining construction is completed smoothly and that everyday life and transportation become more convenient ☺️

Commemorative Celebration for the Registration of Gokase Ara-odori as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Today, Sunday, December 1, a celebratory gathering was held at the Ara-Odori Hall in the Sakamoto district to mark the registration of “Gokase Ara-odori” as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in February of Reiwa 3 (2021).👏✨

Because the registration around Reiwa 3 fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding a celebration then was difficult, so today’s event was finally realized.🥹

After the opening, the ceremony proceeded smoothly with greetings from the Ara-Odori Preservation Society and congratulatory messages from guests,
followed by kagami-biraki (sake barrel opening) accompanied by the powerful sounds of Ara-odori drums, bells, and matchlock gun volleys.🍶🔨

Later, Mr. Fujimoto, the lead dancer, gave the toast and the banquet began.👏

It was a wonderful gathering where members of the Ara-Odori Preservation Society, the dancers and their families all shared their various feelings about Ara-odori.😌

During the banquet, the host conducted interviews in which, somewhat shyly, everyone spoke passionately about Ara-odori.🤭✨

When people had enjoyed enough sake and conversation, the event concluded with three cheers of banzai.🙌🙌🙌

In Miyazaki, a land that preserves many traditional performing arts such as kagura, the registration of Gokase Ara-odori as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage truly felt like a great achievement.😳

Going forward, we hope these traditional performing arts, preserved and passed down in each district, will continue to be treasured.✨

⛩ Gion Shrine Niiname Festival and Final Kagura Performance 👹

On November 23rd, the Niiname Festival and the final kagura performance were held at Gion Shrine in the Kuraoka district.⛩

First a Shinto ceremony took place, followed by a kagura dedication at the kagura hall.👹

Today we welcomed visitors from overseas and guests who came from Tokyo.😮

The gingko trees at Gion Shrine had turned color, creating a carpet of yellow.😆✨
Gokase Town is getting colder, and it looks like winter is finally arriving.⛄

That day, greedy Kawanishi visited a wagashi shop he had long been curious about!
It was Koshido, located in Suehiro, Suwa.
I spoke with President Kurita. To my surprise, this long-established wagashi shop has been in business for 99 years since Taisho 14 (1925). The current president appears to be the third generation. By chance, five days before my visit, a local newspaper ran a story saying students from Suwa Jitsugyo High School had designed the shop’s classic packaging and stickers. Even amid such history, I was charmed by this flexible approach and arranged an appointment.
According to the president, the Suwa Confectioners’ Association once included 60–70 shops, and many were in the city, but now only 17 remain. I want to cherish the wagashi culture left by earlier generations and pass it on. I personally love anko (sweet red bean paste), so I’ve always liked wagashi. That day I learned that wagashi can be enjoyed in every season, and I gained new insights!!! In spring there are sakura-mochi and kashiwa-mochi; for the equinoctial week there are botamochi and ohagi; in autumn there are inoko-mochi and tsutsugayu, and more. I hope to introduce these delicate and delicious wagashi to everyone!

◎ Koshido
📍 Suehiro 12-12-9, Suwa, Nagano Prefecture
☎ 0266-52-0920
◎ Business hours: 9:00 – 18:00
◎ Regular holiday: Closed Wednesdays
◎ Online shop: www.okashi-net.com/mall/koshido/

That day, I went to Koshido, a traditional Japanese confectionery shop in Suwa. Mr. Kurita is the shop’s president and craftsman. The shop has been open for 99 years, and he is the third generation. On November 9th, I saw a newspaper article about the shop: students from Suwa Jitsugyo High School designed stickers for the product.
He told me that long ago there were 60–70 wagashi shops in Suwa city, but now only 17 remain. I feel it’s important to preserve this great tradition for future generations. I didn’t know wagashi could be enjoyed across the four seasons! It’s true. In autumn there are dango, inoko-mochi, and tsutsugayu; in spring there are sakura-mochi and kashiwa-mochi, among others. I still have much to learn about traditional Japanese sweets, and I will continue to write about seasonal wagashi from now on!
◎ KOSHIDO
📍 Suehiro 12-12-9, Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
◎ Tel: 0266-52-0920
◎ Business hours: 9:00 – 18:00
◎ Regular holiday: Closed on Wednesdays
◎ Online shop: www.okashi-net.com/mall/koshido/

Sankei Garden in Autumn
Looking at the three-storied pagoda of the old Kanmyoji Temple from the back of the Kanshu Pavilion.

Gion Shrine Autumn Festival “Okunchi”

Today, Wednesday, October 9, the Gion Shrine in Kuraoka District held its autumn festival “Okunchi.”🤗

The light rain that fell until yesterday felt like a distant memory under a clear, delightful autumn sky.☀️ Gion-san’s power is truly amazing.👏✨

Even though the festival fell on a weekday this year, visitors from outside the prefecture and local children gathered from the start of the ceremony.😊

We were allowed into the main hall and were able to see the “Urayasu no Mai” dance.🥹 It was a beautiful dance that radiated tradition.✨

The Gion kagura also came with detailed explanations about how it differs from other kagura, which made it even more enjoyable.🤩

The Usu-daiko drum dance invited everyone, including the general public, to join in lively dancing, and the playful exchanges of the Yamaboshi question-and-answer skit added a comedic touch that made people chuckle.🤣

Traditional events can sometimes seem formal and stern, but this festival was anything but that—it was a truly entertaining celebration.💫

After the Usu-daiko dance there was a mochi-throwing event, and the festival concluded with a dedication of the Gion kagura, keeping the atmosphere lively from start to finish.🤗🎉

Night Drum (Niihama Drum Festival)
It is a type of festival float that is offered to the portable shrine at the time of the festival portable shrine and at the time of the passing, it participates in the procession and solemnly offers, and is Dedication to the Ujigami（clan deity） in gratitude for the autumn of the Harvest Festival. It is often found in shipping hubs along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. Among the Drum Stands, they are said to be nearly 3 tons in size, and the appearance of the Niihama Drum Stand, which is presented by more than 150 men and dances in the clear autumn sky, is nicknamed the "Oto's Festival" because of its gorgeousness and grandeur. The photo is not of a blue sky, but of a drum stand illuminated by lights in the pitch black darkness. The gold and silver threads shine and the tassels sway violently, which is truly gorgeous and magnificent.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage "Ara Odori" on Sunday, September 29

Ara Odori took place on Sunday, September 29 🐵💫

The sunny weather was almost hot and great for photos, but I imagine it was truly tough for everyone who spent the whole day dancing in costume. Well done to all of you 👏

I was amazed to see so many people each memorizing their roles, dances, and songs to perform a single dance together 😳✨

Elementary school students joined in and danced Ara Odori partway through, and it moved me to see this tradition being passed down to people of all ages 🥹

I heard that Ara Odori used to ban women long ago, but even as the form has changed with the times, I felt a strong community spirit to protect the tradition together 💪✨

Today, students from Gokase Junior High School, who hope to share more of Gokase Town’s charm and traditions and make the town more vibrant, spent the whole day filming the Ara Odori on video for us 📸💡

We should be able to share that video soon, so look forward to it 🤗💕

【Kiso Living Crafts Museum】
On August 2, 2024, "Usage Crafts" opened at the Kiso Living Crafts Museum Art Gallery. A permanent exhibition hall where traditional Shinshu crafts are exhibited.
You can see the local climate and culture, as well as a number of Shinshu traditional crafts that have been born and nurtured in daily life.
Also, this permanent exhibition is the only place where you can see all the traditional crafts of Shinshu! !!
Admission is free, so please try 😊 the traditional crafts of Shinshu

"Kiso Living Crafts Museum"
Address: 2272-7 Kiso Hirasawa, Shiojiri-shi, Nagano
TEL：TEL. 0264-34-3888

Sendai Tanabata Festival taken at night
The decoration in the photo is decorated with 78,000 origami cranes made by children from elementary and junior high schools in the city with the hope of reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake
This year, it is said that it also contains a wish for the reconstruction of the Noto Peninsula earthquake

Yamaguchi Prefecture Shimonoseki Mayor's Office
One piece of the moon on the summer strange festival of the historic towns mayor's office.

The Suphorbia Garden Festival, 1800 years ago, the history of Emperor Nakama.
From August 7 to 13 every year.

It's been almost 10 years since I graduated from high school
We thought we could be something special, but we reunited and vowed to each other that we would become something again

When I was transferred to Tokyo, I happened to reconnect with my high school friends.
Even at this age, I want to cherish my friends who can travel regularly for the rest of my life.
I smelled mosquito coils for the first time in a long time yellowtail at the Suwa Lake where I was traveling.
For those of us who were born and raised in the countryside of Shizuoka, it was a very nostalgic summer.

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Experience] Cast-Iron Kettle Pan-Frying Tea Experience

Pan-fried tea, now produced in only small quantities nationwide. It pours a clear golden color, offers a fragrant aroma, and tends to be less astringent and bitter than steamed green tea.

You can try making this pan-fried tea yourself.

<Price> Pan-frying experience: 2,000 yen ※Reservation required / varies by season

<Booking> Miyazaki Chabo Co., Ltd.
4966 Kuwanochi, Gokasecho, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture 882-1202
・Hours: 9:00–16:00
・Phone: 0982-82-0211
・Fax: 0982-82-0316

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Experience] Tea Tasting Experience

Miyazaki (Tatsu Saki) Sabou produces the rare kamairicha (pan-fried tea)
Here you can enjoy a tasting experience featuring several kinds of tea.
Even among kamairicha, different tea leaf varieties produce distinct aromas and flavors.
If you find a tea you like, you can buy it on the spot.

Price: Tea tasting experience from ¥1,000 (reservation required)

Booking: Miyazaki Sabou Co., Ltd.
4966 Kuwanochi, Gokasecho, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture 882-1202
Hours: 9:00–16:00
Telephone: 0982-82-0211
Fax: 0982-82-0316

[Miyazaki Prefecture, Gokasecho] Local Specialty and Souvenir: kama-iri tea

Kama-iri tea is made by pan-frying tea leaves instead of steaming them.

This method, similar to the process used for oolong tea, brings out the tea’s natural aroma. Compared with standard steamed teas, it boasts a light, refreshing flavor and excellent fragrance that make it easy to drink cup after cup.

July 15 (Mon) Gion Shrine Summer Festival⛩️✨

On Monday, July 15, the Gion Shrine in the Kuraoka area held its summer annual festival, affectionately known as “Gion-san.”🎉

The day opened with the Morimaki ritual, followed by a ceremony, kagura performances, the sacred procession, and dance presentations—there was so much to enjoy.😊🎶

Although the weather brought rain at first, true to the spirit of “Gion-san,” a break in the clouds appeared by the time the sacred procession ended.☀️

Despite the rain, people from the neighborhood, across the prefecture and beyond, and even from overseas, came out early in the morning to enjoy the festival.🌍✨

It’s wonderful to see a community festival cherished by locals becoming known to and enjoyed by so many people.😌👏

We hope this tradition will continue to be passed on carefully into the future.

[July 2024 Kiso Festival]
Kiso will be the festival Information of July, which will be held in various places.
Starting with the famous Mikoshi portable shrine roll in Fukushima, Kiso Town, you can enjoy colorful festivals in various places.
Please come and visit us!

♦July 12 Fri, 13 Sat Yabuhara Shrine Annual Grand Festival Kiso Village Yabuhara
A powerful festival in which two lions, male and female, perform a dance of two lions, male and female, on the stalls of making << total Cypress trees. >>

♦July 13 Sat, 14 Sun Higashiyama Shrine Summer Annual Grand Festival Nagiso Town Midono
<portable shrine parade carrying a portable shrine while singing a song. >

♦July 14 Sun, 15 Mon Susao Shrine Festival Okuwa Village Nojiri
<< they carry their portable shrine and Parade Town, and at the end, they are led by the flame of torches to enter the mountain. >>

♦July 22 Tue, 23 Wed Mizunashi Shrine Festival Mikoshi portable shrine roll Kiso Town Fukushima
<< "Sosuke! Kiso's strange festival that excitingly sprees Mikoshi horizontally and vertically with a shout. fireworks will also Gari on the 22nd. >>

♦July 23 Wed, 24 Thu Wachipo Shrine Summer Annual Grand Festival Tsumago juku
<<, with a shout of "goodbye to Gemo", the portable shrine parade the Shukuba. >>

♦July 26 Fri, 27 Sat Deer Shrine Festival Okuwa Village Suhara
<<, the fierce pushing of the portable shrine with the shout of "Let's give it to you, let's put it back" is a sight to behold. >>

♦July 27 Sat Cypress trees summer festival Agematsu town
<< in preparation for next year's Sacred Tree Festival, we will hold a fireworks festival with Mikihiki. >>

♦July 27 Sat, 28 Sun Ontake Shrine Annual Grand Festival Otaki village
<< "Three Swords Dance" and dances by priestesses are Dedication. >>

Information about the Festival is also Publication on the Home Page "Kiso Valley Torippu"!

Traditional Performing Arts of Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture — Usu-daiko Dance

The Usu-daiko dance performed at the autumn grand festival of Gion Shrine was once offered on the lunar calendar date of September 9, so it is also called the "kunchi dance," and it has been passed down for more than 400 years. It is said to have begun when members of the defeated Taira clan, driven from Kyoto and wandering in exile, reached the mountain hamlet of Shiiba on their way to safety and, while remembering the glittering capital, danced in the village of Kuraoka.

The dance shows a poised, dignified movement within its grace, evoking the hearts of people from the capital, and it is offered each year at Gion Shrine’s autumn festival.

<Legendary Events>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the first year of Bunji (1185), near the end of the Genpei conflicts, remnants of the Taira clan who were defeated at the Battle of Dan-no-ura fled into the interior to evade the Genji pursuit. They reached the village of Kuraoka and, on their way to Mt. Shiiba, left the weak, women, and children in the mountains near Kuraoka Hakki because of the steep, treacherous roads.

In Genkyu 2, the Kamakura shogunate did not ease its pursuit of the Taira remnants and ordered Nasu Daihachiro Munenaga to hunt down the clan that had fled into the Kyushu Mountains.

Receiving the order, Nasu Daihachiro's party entered Kuraoka intending to head for Shiiba, and finding the Taira fugitives in Kuraoka lacking the will to fight, they staged a dance of shared company to comfort them after the long journey, setting aside the victors' arrogance to show compassion for the defeated.

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The dance described above became the foundation of the Kuraoka Usu-daiko dance, which, after cycles of prosperity and decline and several relocations over the ages, is said to have survived in its present form.

Dancing to the beat of drums and bells, performers display dignified movements within an overall elegance.

In recent years, the Gion Shrine Usu-daiko Dance Preservation Society, with the cooperation of children from Gokase Nature School and local parishioners, has carried on the dance.

Schedule for the Usu-daiko dance: every year on October 9.

Traditional Performing Arts of Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture: Kuraoka Staff Technique

The Kuraoka staff tradition follows the Ōkuruma school, said to be a martial art founded by Marume Kurando (one of the four greats of the Shinkage tradition) from the Higo Sagara domain. Also called Shinkage Ōkuruma Musō-ryū, documents show the earliest mention of Kuraoka in the early Edo period. After that, the art passed through Mamimahara and Omae in Shiiba Village before returning to practitioners in Kuraoka at the local end of the line.

Kuraoka staff techniques use two kinds of staff: the long staff, 6 shaku 2 sun (about 188 cm), and the short staff, 3 shaku (about 91 cm).

The forms are basically defensive. There are over thirty paired forms, including long staff versus short staff and staff versus sword. Forms that employ the sword are commonly called shiraha (white-blade).

The Kuraoka Staff Preservation Society offers a shiraha dedication at the summer grand festival of Gion Shrine and provides instruction to students at Kuraoka Junior High School.

Traditional Performing Arts of Gokasecho, Miyazaki Prefecture: Murono Yoi Kagura

The Murono Yoi Kagura at Mikasho Shrine is said to have been handed down during the Meiji era from the Iwato Kagura lineage, specifically the Kuwanouchi Shrine Kagura and the Furudono Shrine Kagura. The sake-straining dance has become a merry performance portraying a farming couple.

In the mid-Meiji period, Minosuke Kai, the first head of the Murono district, brought kagura from Furudono to the Konpira-yama festival, central to the Murono and Akatani districts, and passed it down to the present day.

The tradition once died out, but it was reformed when kagura was requested for the Tsuhana Tunnel breakthrough ceremony in 1972 (Showa 47).

Murono Yoi Kagura schedule: the second Saturday in December

[Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Traditional Performing Arts] Kuraoka Gion Kagura

Kuraoka Gion Kagura is a kagura preserved at Kuraoka’s Gion Shrine. Its origins are said to trace back to dances performed in the broad courtyard of the ancient Kogamure Shrine recorded in the Engishiki.

In Genryaku 2 / Juei 4 (1185), after the Heike clan’s defeat at the Battle of Dan-no-ura, members of the Heike fled through the Kyushu mountains and reached Kuraoka, then pressed further into the remote mountains toward Shiiba. At that time, court entertainments and sacred music from Kyoto—gigaku, gagaku—and Ise-style kagura that the Heike brought with them blended into the existing local kagura, and over time this fusion developed into a distinctive form.

The kagura’s sound is said to have been shaped by a drum made from the trunk of a walnut tree grown in the hidden recesses of Mt. Shiraiwa, stretched with deerhide taken from the remote mountains and bound at both ends with hemp twine; a flute made from bamboo with holes bored in it; and graceful, capital-style rhythms and hand clapping. These elements combined into the unique musical pulse of the Kuraoka kagura.

In July 2023, the Kuraoka Gion Kagura Preservation Society revived this ancient kagura drum.

Kuraoka Gion Kagura schedule: mid-July (Gion Shrine), early October (Gion Shrine), mid-November (Amanatsu Shrine)

Miyazaki Prefecture Gokasecho Traditional Performing Arts: Kuwanouchi Shrine Kagura

Kuwanouchi Kagura is believed to have begun in the early Meiji era. A surviving costume is dated Meiji 3, and the shrine’s relocation to Habu in the same year suggests the kagura started around that time.

The masks used are mainly the hannya mask, more frequently employed than in other kagura, and the performance is characterized by a faster tempo.

The whole community works together to pass the tradition to future generations, putting great effort into training successors.

In spring and autumn, the kagura is offered at the Kuwanouchi Shrine grand festival. In January, a night-long kagura dedication prays for a bountiful harvest and the well-being of residents.

Kuwanouchi Shrine Night Kagura Schedule…Every year on the second Saturday of January