murmurCrying Baby Sumo at Ikiko Shrine
Kanuma City · Ikiko Shrine (Momiyama-machi, Kanuma)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Tochigi Prefectural Tourism and Local Products Association (Tochigi Tabi Net) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Sep 20, 2026 （Ended） 9:00–16:00 (same-day entries accepted from 14:00)
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually late September
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held on September 19, or the following Sunday if the 19th is not a Sunday (the first Sunday on or after September 19)
- Venue
- Ikiko Shrine (Momiyama-machi, Kanuma)
- City
- Kanuma City, Tochigi
About
At Ikiko Shrine in Momiyama-cho, Kanuma, a rare crying-sumo custom is held to wish children healthy growth. Parish officers wearing sumo loincloths step into the shrine's ring from the east and west, each holding a small child, and at a shout raise the little ones high overhead about 3 times; the heartier cry wins. Behind it lies the saying that babies who cry grow up well. The custom has been selected by the national government as an intangible folk cultural property to be documented, and the city has designated it as well. You do not need to be a parishioner to take part, and many families come not only from nearby but from the Tokyo area. Registration is required, and it is open to children from about 6 months old, once their necks are steady, up to about 3 years old.
Sources
- OfficialTochigi Prefectural Tourism and Local Products Association (Tochigi Tabi Net) www.tochigiji.or.jp
- OfficialKanuma City Tourism Association (Kanuma Biyori) kanuma-kanko.jp
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.
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.