Isomiya Hachiman Shrine Nagoshi Festival

The Nagoshi Festival is a ritual to purify and cleanse the misfortune and bad luck that unknowingly accumulates on our bodies. We pray to our guardian deity for divine protection, wishing for good health, longevity, and peace of mind for the remaining half of the year.

Participants write their names on paper dolls called “hitogata,” rub them on their bodies, and blow on them to transfer bad luck to the dolls before offering them to the shrine. On the day of the festival, after the prayer ceremony, the dolls carrying misfortune are burned at the sacred fire site in front of the shrine hall to purify and cleanse them.

“Hitogata” (paper dolls) and “kurumagata” (car-shaped dolls) should be brought to the reception area within the shrine grounds by 5:30 PM.

When visiting the shrine, pass through the “chinowa” (sacred grass ring) set up along the approach path.