🏮 Kariwano no Otsuna Hiki

刈和野の大綱引き

Daisen, Akita (Kariwano Omachi Street) · Every year on 10 February

Traditional performing arts

149 days to go
Rooms around Daisen, Akita fill up while the festival is on.

The Kariwano Great Tug-of-War, held on Kariwano Omachi-dori in Daisen, Akita Prefecture, is a traditional event designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. Residents divided into Kamimachi (Futsukamachi) and Shimomachi (Itsukamachi) teams pull against each other on one of the largest ropes in Japan, about 80 centimeters in diameter, roughly 50 to 64 meters long, and weighing as much as 10 tons per side. The venue is about a 10-minute walk from JR Kariwano Station. This festival has a history of more than 500 years, dating back to the Muromachi period, and is deeply tied to the region's agricultural culture. Since ancient times, it has been believed that if Kamimachi wins the price of rice rises, and if Shimomachi wins there will be a bountiful harvest, giving the event a meaning of divining the town's fortune. On the day, the proceedings begin with prayers at Ukishima Shrine, followed by a procession of the Kariwano Otsuna Daiko by elementary school students and a mochi-throwing. From the evening, rope-stretching and pushing contests unfold, and the main tug-of-war begins at 21:00. There is also a fireworks launch, and after the event ends, it concludes with rope loosening and rope dedication.