Hatano Matsuri and the Annual Grand Festival of Kumano Shrine

Join in the festival of Hatano's tutelary shrine, where demons dance and drum all night.

Hatano Matsuri takes place on the 15th of October every year, and is the annual festival of Kumano Shrine, the tutelary shrine of the Hatano area. Two Ondeko (demon drumming) groups visit each of the households in the area. Since the Hatano district stretches far and wide, and there are about 600 households within the area, Ondeko groups set off surprisingly early: at midnight!! They return to the shrine late at night on the 15th, so they are, literally, drumming door to door from the beginning of the day until the end. During the festival, you can see traditional yabusame and a mikoshi parade, too. The Hatano area is totally enveloped in the atmosphere of an autumn festival.