murmurToyama no Shimotsuki Matsuri
Iida City · Shrines in the Kamimura and Minami-Shinano districts of Iida
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Toyama Shimotsuki Matsuri official site · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates not confirmed
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid December
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Each shrine holds its own festival on its set day in December
- Venue
- Shrines in the Kamimura and Minami-Shinano districts of Iida
- City
- Iida City, Nagano
About
In December, shrines in the remote mountain valleys of Toyamago, in the Kamimura and Minami-Shinano districts of Iida, take turns holding this yutate kagura, a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Water boils in cauldrons placed in the middle of each shrine hall as an offering to the gods, and at the height of the night masked figures such as tengu appear and fling the scalding water with bare hands. Being splashed is thought to wash away the year's impurities and renew one's spirit for the new year. Each shrine sets its own date, and some begin in the afternoon and carry on through the night until morning. Visitors may watch, and a few shrines offer paid rest areas, but winter nights in these valleys are bitterly cold, so dress warmly.
Sources
- OfficialToyama Shimotsuki Matsuri official site shimotsukimatsuri.com
- OfficialToyamago Tourism Association tohyamago.com
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.
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.