Otaue Rice Planting Festival

A traditional event to pray for the year's bountiful harvest

Otaue Rice Planting Festival takes place at Gosho Shrine, which is well-known for its huge cedar tree. Performances mimicking rice planting activities are dedicated to the shrine deity to bring a bountiful harvest to the community. The rituals of the festival are divided into seven parts: seedling picking, field plowing, lunch break during planting activities, field-flattening, planting, and dinner after planting. During the rituals of seedling picking and planting, konaeuchi musicians (played by boys) perform music accompanied by the rhythm of drums. After the rituals, offerings to the deity are shared by the attendants. This event is designated as a Niigata Prefecture Intangible Folk Cultural Asset.