Uwajima Ushi-oni Festival

Overview

The Warei Taisai is a grand festival held every July at Warei Shrine in Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture, and it ranks among the largest summer festivals in the Shikoku region. Centered on sacred rites that honor Yamaie Seibei Kinyori, a chief retainer who laid the foundations of the Uwajima domain yet met a tragic death, the festival seeks to console his spirit while praying for the prosperity of fisheries and other local industries and for the well-being of the community. Because Warei Shrine is regarded as the head shrine of the widespread Warei faith honored throughout central and western Japan, the festival draws not only local parishioners but also many visitors from distant regions.

Today the festival is held together with the citizen-oriented Uwajima Ushioni Festival, and for three days from July 22 to 24 each year the center of Uwajima City is transformed by the celebrations. The highlight above all is the sacred rite known as the hashirikomi, performed on the final night, when a stirring and dreamlike scene unfolds on the surface of the Suga River, illuminated by torches. Together with the procession of the ushioni, fireworks over the sea, and the Uwajima dance, the event has grown into a festival in which solemn traditional rites and lively modern civic activities are fused into one.

History and Origins

The origins of the Warei Taisai are deeply tied to the tragedy of Yamaie Seibei Kinyori, the chief retainer who served Date Hidemune, the first lord of the Uwajima domain. Born in Yonezawa, Seibei is said to have shown great ability in rebuilding the exhausted finances of the young domain and in stabilizing its administration during its founding period, earning the deep respect of the common people. His very competence, however, is thought to have contributed to conflict within the domain, and his fate is inseparable from the turbulent politics of Uwajima in its early years.

On the night of the thirtieth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of the Genna era, corresponding to 1620, Seibei's residence was attacked, and not only Seibei himself but also his children and relatives were killed in a horrifying incident. The full truth of this affair remains unclear because surviving records are extremely scarce, yet documents such as a later letter by a lord of the Sendai domain suggest that the killing of Seibei was carried out at the will of the lord Hidemune. This event, in which a meritorious retainer met a violent death, became the starting point of the later Warei faith.

After the incident, those said to have been involved are recorded as having died one after another in sudden and unnatural ways, such as shipwrecks and lightning strikes, and people came to fear these deaths as the work of Seibei's vengeful spirit. To pacify that spirit, a small shrine was built on land to the north of the castle, and this is said to have been the beginning of Warei Shrine. In the making of this shrine one can see a classic example of goryo belief, in which the spirit of a person who died a violent death is enshrined with great care so that its power may be transformed into that of a protective deity.

As for the beginning of the festival itself, it is said to date back to the sixth month of the second year of the Joo era, corresponding to 1653, on the thirty-third anniversary of Seibei's death, when the lord Date Hidemune built Warei Shrine and held a grand ceremony. From then on, the rites consoling Seibei's spirit were handed down as an annual observance of Uwajima, and in time they grew into a great festival that also expressed gratitude and prayers to the guardian deity of fisheries, commerce, and industry. Over the centuries the festival also took on the character of a civic celebration, developing into the major summer event that today forms one whole with the Uwajima Ushioni Festival.

Highlights

The Hashirikomi Rite The greatest highlight of the Warei Taisai is the sacred rite called hashirikomi, held on the final night at the Suga River. The scene that unfolds on the river surface, lit by the flames of torches, is at once stirring and dreamlike, and the interplay of darkness, fire, and water has long been cherished as the very symbol of this festival. The details of the rite are described in various ways and cannot be stated with certainty, but all accounts agree that it is a moment in which the fervent wish of the people to console Seibei's spirit and to pray for health and a good catch is gathered into one.

The Procession of the Ushioni The ushioni is an indispensable figure in the festivals of the Nanyo area centered on Uwajima. With a bamboo-framed body reaching five or six meters in length, topped by a long neck of shaped wood and the face of a demon, its strange form overwhelms those who see it. The ushioni is said to serve the role of warding off evil, and the sight of it parading through the town while swinging its long neck greatly heightens the excitement of the festival, making it a celebrated feature of the event.

Fireworks over the Sea During the festival, fireworks are launched over Uwajima Bay, coloring the summer night sky and the surface of the sea. The fireworks over the water, characteristic of a port town, offer a mood of openness quite different from the bustle of floats and processions on land. The coexistence of the solemnity of the rites and the splendor of the fireworks expresses well the character of the Warei Taisai, in which tradition and civic festivity are joined together.

The Uwajima Dance A grand dance event in which many citizens take part also brings color to the festival. The sight of local people forming groups and dancing through the streets shows that the festival is not the possession of a few bearers alone but an undertaking handed down by the whole town. The scene of people of all ages dancing together is itself an expression of how deeply the Warei faith has taken root in the region.

Warei Shrine and the Great Torii Warei Shrine, which serves as the stage of the festival, is counted among the leading great shrines of Shikoku and presents a solemn appearance. Before its front, Warei Park spreads out across the Suga River, and a great stone torii rises into the sky to welcome worshippers. Even apart from the festival days, the shrine attracts reverence as the head shrine of the Warei faith of central and western Japan, and the shrine itself stands as a highlight that embodies the historical background of the festival.

The Miyuki Bridge Across the Suga River, which flows between Warei Shrine and Warei Park, stands an arched bridge known as the Miyuki Bridge. Said to have miraculously escaped collapse during the air raids on Uwajima, this bridge still bears the marks of incendiary bombs and is regarded as a symbol of the wish for peace. Spanning the very river that becomes the stage of the hashirikomi, the bridge quietly links the scenery of the festival with the memory of the region.

Event Information and Access

Name Warei Taisai, held together with the citizen event as the Warei Taisai and Uwajima Ushioni Festival.

Location Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture. The rites center on Warei Shrine and the area around the Suga River, while the ushioni procession and various events take place in the center of the city.

Period The festival is basically held over three days, from July 22 to 24 each year. The rites of the Warei Taisai are performed mainly on the 23rd and 24th, and the hashirikomi on the final night forms the climax of the festival.

Hashirikomi For the sixtieth event in 2026, the hashirikomi is scheduled to be held on the night of Friday, July 24, at the Suga River. Because the dates, times, and details may vary from year to year, it is advisable to confirm the latest schedule and whether the event will be held with Uwajima City or the official website.

Main Events In addition to the hashirikomi rite, the procession of the ushioni, fireworks over the sea, and the Uwajima dance are held during the period. The rites and events proceed on separate days.

Access The nearest station is Uwajima Station on the JR Yosan Line, and the central area of the city and Warei Shrine can be reached on foot. Because traffic restrictions may be in place during the festival, visitors are encouraged to use public transportation and to check the latest traffic information.

Around the Area

Uwajima City is the central city of the Nanyo area in the southern part of Ehime Prefecture, a port town blessed with the intricate terrain of a ria coast and rich fishing grounds. Aquaculture of pearls and red sea bream and other fisheries flourish here, and behind the way the Warei Taisai has been linked with prayers to the guardian deity of fisheries lies the life of a land that has lived together with the sea. When visiting the festival, savoring the seafood characteristic of a port town is one of the pleasures of the trip.

Uwajima Castle, the symbol of the city, is known for having been built by Todo Takatora, a master of castle construction, and is a precious example of a castle that retains its original keep even today. The history of Uwajima, which developed as a castle town, is deeply connected with the rule of the Date family, and historic sites that convey the political situation of the age in which Yamaie Seibei lived are scattered throughout the city. By touring the castle town along with a visit to Warei Shrine, one can grasp the historical background of the festival in a more vivid way.

Throughout the Nanyo area, a distinctive culture of festivals centered on the ushioni and other figures lives on, and Uwajima is a place that represents the festival culture of the Nanyo region. In the surrounding area there are also many opportunities to encounter culture unique to this region, such as bullfighting and traditional performing arts. By touring the surrounding culture and nature with the Warei Taisai at the center, one can fully experience the rich local character of the Nanyo area.

Related Information

• Warei Shrine (Uwajima City) ... the stage of the Warei Taisai and regarded as the head shrine of the Warei faith that spreads across central and western Japan.
• Yamaie Seibei Kinyori ... the chief retainer of Date Hidemune, first lord of the Uwajima domain, and the enshrined deity of Warei Shrine, who met a violent death in 1620.
• Uwajima Ushioni Festival ... the citizen-oriented summer festival held together with the Warei Taisai, featuring the ushioni procession and fireworks over the sea.
• Ushioni ... a demon-warding festival figure appearing in the festivals of the Nanyo area centered on Uwajima, known for its long neck and demon face.
• Uwajima Castle ... a castle with an original keep built by Todo Takatora, conveying the history of the castle town of Uwajima.
• Warei faith ... a belief that began with the enshrinement of Yamaie Seibei's spirit and is revered throughout central and western Japan as the guardian deity of fisheries and other industries.

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