Matobakai (Hamayumi Festival)

About

In mid-January at Shiouji Shrine in Nagasu, young men in loincloths wrestle over the mato, a target about 60 cm across woven from glutinous-rice straw. Legend links the custom to the late 16th century, when parishioners struggled over the cushion bearing the deity as the shrine was moved to where it stands now. In the morning the mato is dedicated at Suzaki Shrine, then taken to Shiouji Shrine and shot three times with a bow and arrow. Next it is hurled into the crowd of young men waiting before the hall of worship. After about an hour of shoving in the grounds, the whole pack charges into the Ariake Sea and fights on even harder in the water, until one of them raises a hatchet and yells Yame! (Stop!). Everyone gives three banzai cheers in the sea, and the mato is cut up and handed out to households.

Sources

• OfficialKumamoto Prefecture (Kumamoto Culture Site) kumamoto.guide
• Reference的ばかい（長洲町商工会） www.nagasushoko.jp
• Reference的奪い合いに熱気 無病息災を祈る「的ばかい」 長洲町・四王子神社（熊本日日新聞） kumanichi.com

Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.