F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-122
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Mamada no Jagamaita (Straw Snake Festival)
間々田のじゃがまいたまままだのじゃがまいた
D A T E2026-05-05
An annual rite held on May 5 at Mamada Hachiman Shrine in Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture. Children from seven neighborhoods each weave a dragon-headed straw snake (jaga) over 15 meters long and bring them to the shrine. After a purification rite and a 'water-drinking' ceremony in which the snake heads are plunged into a lotus pond, the snakes are carried through the town. The day climaxes at dusk with the 'snake-pushing' ceremony in which the snake bodies collide with one another. Designated as a Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2019; a rain-bringing and bountiful-harvest rite.
N O P H O T O
H I G H L I G H T S
Highlights
- 01Nationally Designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property (designated 2019)
- 02Straw dragon-snake bodies of over 15 meters made by each of seven neighborhoods
- 03'Water-drinking' rite in which the snake heads are plunged into the pond
- 04Evening 'snake-pushing' ceremony where the snakes collide with one another
- 05Combined prayer for rain and for the warding off of epidemics
D E E P D I V E
Deep Dive
R E F E R E N C E