The rice planting ceremony is a Shinto ritual that has been held at Izawanomiya Shrine since ancient times, and has been designated a national folk cultural asset under the name "Isobe no Omita."
The following legend is told about the origin of the rice planting ceremony.
About 2000 years ago, when Yamatohime-no-mikoto was searching for a place to offer sacred food to the Ise Grand Shrine, she chose Shima, an area rich in seafood.
At that time, when Yamatohime-no-mikoto saw a Manazuru dropping ears of rice in this area, she was impressed and said, "Even a dumb bird would offer an offering," and it is said that she had the ears of rice made into rice to be offered to Amaterasu Omikami.
Based on this legend, rice cultivation has been practiced as a religious ceremony in Shima since ancient times.
As a symbol of this, the rice planting ceremony is held every year on June 6, and it has been handed down to this day as a traditional event filled with gratitude and prayers to the gods.
For a while, in order to prevent the spread of the new corona virus, we scaled-down ceremony and were not allowed the visit, but this year we will be holding the same ceremony as last year. You can visit.
The colorful costumes stand out against the blue sky and fresh greenery and the solemn events performed by the local people are both graceful and violent, and will remain in the hearts of those who see them.
Please come and see this rice planting ceremony, which tells the arrival of early summer in Shima.
*Please observe good manners when taking photos.
| 8:10 | The roles of Eburi and Tachido are played by the "seven and a half degrees.'' |
| 9:50 | Deliver "Shiki Sanban". |
| 10:20 | They line up inside the first torii of Izawanomiya and undergo purification. |
| 10:30 | Visit the Goseiden. At the purification center, the priest bestows Sanae on Sakucho. |
| 10:40 | From Izawanomiya, he marches to Goryoden. |
| 11:00 | Arrive at Goryoden. The priest cleanses Goryoden and the head priest dedicates the left, right, middle and Sanae. Saotome, Michihito Ta and others went around Naashiro three and a half times and took Sanae. The naked man participating in the bamboo removal ritual enters the rice field and waits until the seedlings have been removed. |
| 11:20 | "The Bamboo Cutter Ceremony" |
| 11:30 | "Rice planting ritual" After the first to ninth small songs, there is a break and the servants have a drinking party with wakame (seaweed) as a snack. Next, the dance "Saitorisashi" by the "Okuwaka and Saiwaka" is performed. The rice planting is then completed with the tenth to eighteenth small songs. The event ends around 13PM. |
| 15:00 | "Odori-komi''. It takes about two hours to train from Goryoda to the first torii gate of Izawanomiya Shrine. |
| 17:00 | All the officials line up inside the same torii gate, and three people playing drums and sasara perform the "Final Dance," bringing the rice-planting festival to a happy close. |
*Times may differ slightly depending on the duty district.
Access by train
Get off at Kaminogo Station on the Kintetsu Shima Line. From there, you can access Izawanomiya Shrine, where the rice planting ceremony is held, in a 3-minute walk.
Access by car
Follow National Route 167 and park at Isobe Fureai Park. From there, it's just under a 15-minute drive to Izawanomiya Shrine.
Parking Lot
Former Isobe Town Hall, Former Fujimoto Electric, Fureai Park
