Sanko Festival

Sanzoro Matsuri: The Festival of the Seven Lucky Gods in Okumikawa

Deep in the mountains of Aichi Prefecture's Okumikawa region, the small village of Mitsuhashi in Shitara Town comes alive each November with one of the most charming and unusual folk festivals in Japan. The Sanzoro Matsuri (参候祭), held at the local Tsushima Shrine, is a centuries-old ritual in which performers dressed as the Seven Lucky Gods and other deities appear before a Shinto priest, announce themselves with the formal greeting "Sanzōrō" (meaning "I humbly present myself"), and engage in witty, improvised dialogue that delights spectators. This enchanting blend of sacred Shinto ritual, dengaku (rice-planting) performance art, and folk humor has been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Aichi Prefecture and selected by the national government as an important intangible folk cultural property requiring documentation.

Historical Background

The origins of the Sanzoro Matsuri can be traced back over 400 years to the Muromachi period. Historical records from the Eiroku era (1558–1570) refer to a "Tate Gozu Tennō Hachiōji Dengaku Matsuri" (a dengaku festival honoring Gozu Tennō and the Eight Princes) at this location, indicating that the festival likely began as a dengaku performance—a form of agricultural ritual entertainment popular in medieval Japan.

Over the centuries, the festival evolved as elements of visiting-deity rituals (hōmon shinji) and Seven Lucky Gods dances were incorporated into the original dengaku framework. This layering of different performance traditions makes the Sanzoro Matsuri a valuable record of how folk performing arts have transformed over time. In 1996, the national Agency for Cultural Affairs officially selected it as an intangible folk cultural property requiring documentation and preservation measures, and the Sanzoro Matsuri Preservation Society was established to safeguard the tradition.

Why It Was Designated a Cultural Property

The Sanzoro Matsuri holds significant cultural value for several reasons. First, it preserves the rare combination of dengaku-style agricultural rituals with hōmon-shin (visiting deity) performances and Seven Lucky Gods dances, offering scholars a living example of how folk performing arts evolved by absorbing new elements over time. Second, the distinctive call-and-response dialogue format between the deities and the shrine priest—beginning with the formal self-introduction "Sanzōrō"—is virtually unique to this festival. Third, the improvised nature of the dialogues, which incorporate contemporary humor and social commentary, demonstrates the dynamic, living quality of the tradition. Aichi Prefecture designated it as a prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property, and in November 1996, the national government recognized it as a folk cultural property requiring documentation.

Highlights and What to Expect

The Mikoshi Procession (Afternoon)

The festival begins in the early afternoon when the sacred palanquin (mikoshi) carrying the Eleven-Faced Kannon statue is brought down from Kannon-dō Hall on the mountainside to Tsushima Shrine, where it will be enshrined for one night. During this procession, young attendants perform the Sengo-mai (Thousand Children's Dance) as an offering.

The Yudate Ritual and the Appearance of the Gods (Evening)

As night falls, the main spectacle begins. Sacred ropes (shimenawa) are strung around the shrine's front courtyard, and a large iron cauldron is placed in the center. Great torches illuminate the ritual space. Then, the deities begin to appear one by one from within the worship hall.

Fudō Myōō (the Immovable Wisdom King) is first to emerge, carrying a sword and rope. He circles the cauldron three times before being called to halt by the priest (negi) seated beside the hall. A dialogue ensues in which Fudō explains his identity and reason for appearing. After receiving a bell from the priest, he performs the Dance of the Five Directions before the cauldron, shakes his bell while circling the cauldron three more times, then offers purifying water from bamboo branches before departing.

Following Fudō, four of the Seven Lucky Gods appear in succession: Ebisu (carrying a fishing rod), Bishamonten (carrying a halberd), Daikokuten (carrying a magic mallet and a phallic club called a numekura-bō), and Benzaiten (carrying a fan and bell). Each performs essentially the same sequence as Fudō, though with different props, and each engages in the signature dialogue with the priest—always beginning with "Sanzōrō."

The dialogues are a particular delight, as performers weave in current events and topical humor, drawing roars of laughter from the crowd. After these individual performances, three priests perform the Taiheiraku dance with fans and swords. Then the remaining three Lucky Gods—Hotei, Jurōjin, and Fukurokuju—appear together for a group performance. The evening concludes with dengaku-derived pieces including "Koma" (the Horse), "Tono-men" (the Lord's Mask), and "Saiharai-men/Shishi" (the Purification Mask and Lion Dance).

Visitor Information

The Sanzoro Matsuri is held annually on the second Saturday of November at Tsushima Shrine in Mitsuhashi, Shitara Town. The festival typically runs from around 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with the dramatic evening performances featuring the Seven Lucky Gods beginning around 7:00 PM. Admission is free. The festival takes place outdoors, so warm clothing is essential as November nights in the mountains can be quite cold.

Access to Shitara Town is primarily by car. From the Shinshiro IC on the Shin-Tōmei Expressway, it is approximately 40 minutes north along Route 257. Limited public transportation is available via the Toyotetsu Bus from JR Iida Line Hongō Station to Shitara, but service is infrequent, so a rental car is strongly recommended. Free parking is available near the shrine during the festival.

Surrounding Attractions

Shitara Town and the wider Okumikawa region offer a wealth of cultural and natural experiences for visitors. The area is renowned for its Hana Matsuri (Flower Festivals), which are nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties held from November through January at various locations. The Tamine Kannon Temple, one of the three great Kannon temples of Mikawa, hosts its own dramatic fire festival and kabuki performances. Tamine Castle Ruins, a mountaintop fortress dating to 1470, offers panoramic views of the surrounding valleys. Nature lovers can explore the Shitara Highland, the Toei Onsen hot spring village, and the pristine mountain streams that run through the region. The area is also known for its local venison cuisine, river fish, and craft sake.