🏮 Hasuike no Tachi Odori

蓮池の太刀踊り

Tosa, Kochi (Nishinomiya Hachimangu Shrine) · Every year on 3 November

Bon odori

50 days to go
Rooms around Tosa, Kochi fill up while the festival is on.

The Rengei no Tachi Odori is dedicated every year on November 3 at the autumn festival of Nishinomiya Hachimangu Shrine in Rengei, Tosa City, Kochi Prefecture. It is a Kochi Prefecture-designated important intangible cultural property with about 700 years of history. It is said to have originated in the Northern and Southern Courts period, when it was danced to celebrate a military commander's victory, and it was originally a dance for men only, but today women also take part. At the local elementary school, outreach classes are held, and the tradition is passed down through parents and children using the same real swords. The highlight is when pairs dressed in kimono and hakama with white sashes tied across their chests face each other, draw real swords, and perform a brave dance offering congratulations on victory. At the climax, one person holds a sword at the ready while the other strikes it with a bundle of paper, and white paper confetti quietly flutters down. Another feature of this festival rooted in the community is that children play the leading role, swinging swords.

Getting there

The nearest station is Hakawa Station on the JR Dosan Line, about a 20-minute walk away. By car, it is about 10 minutes from Tosa IC on the Kochi Expressway. Parking is available within the grounds of Nishinomiya Hachimangu Shrine.