murmurHitoyama Mushiokuri (Insect-Sending Torch Procession)
Tonosho Town · Tamonji Temple to Rikyu Hachiman Shrine (Hitoyama Rural Kabuki Stage)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Shodoshima Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Thu, Jul 2, 2026 （Ended） From 18:00: prayers and a memorial for insects, followed by the procession
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early July
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held on Hangesho, the 11th day counting from the summer solstice
- Venue
- Tamonji Temple to Rikyu Hachiman Shrine (Hitoyama Rural Kabuki Stage)
- City
- Tonosho Town, Kagawa
About
In the Hitoyama district of Tonosho on Shodoshima, an old custom of chasing pests from the rice paddies lives on. On the evening of Hangesho, a day in the traditional calendar, prayers and a memorial for insects are held at Tamonji, temple no. 46 of the Shodoshima pilgrimage, before everyone moves to the Hitoyama rural kabuki stage to start sending the insects off. Carrying torches called hote, villagers walk the paddy paths in a line, chanting in unison for the rice pests to keep away – a chain of firelight across the fields at dusk in early summer. Please don't step on the paddies or paths and damage the crops, and drones may not be flown without the organizing committee's permission.
Sources
- OfficialShodoshima Tourism Association shodoshima.or.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.