Fukushima Travel – Tsutsuko Biki Festival

On March 1, the dynamic and time-honored Tsutsuko Biki Matsuri took place in Hobara Town, Date, Fukushima. Recognized as one of the “Top 10 Unique Festivals of Fukushima,” this powerful event is also designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of the city.

Held annually on the first Sunday of March, the festival draws large crowds to the grounds of Itsukushima Shrine and the nearby 4-chome intersection in Hobara, where spectators gather in great numbers to witness this dramatic tug-of-war ritual.

A Powerful Tug-of-War for Prosperity

The highlight of the festival is the pulling of the giant “Tsutsuko.” Young men, purified and dressed only in traditional fundoshi loincloths, divide into three teams and fiercely pull the massive structure in a test of strength and unity.

The festival’s origins date back to the Edo period, when the Nakamura district (then an independent village) held markets on the 25th of every month. The first market of the year—on the 25th day of the first lunar month—was especially important. The Tsutsuko pulling ritual was held to decide where the market would be opened, symbolizing hopes for commercial prosperity.

Hobara was historically a major center for silk floss and raw silk production and distribution. The villagers’ prayers for thriving business and economic success became deeply woven into the festival’s meaning.

Gratitude to a Benevolent Lord

Another origin story traces the festival to the Kyōhō era (1716–1735), during a time of severe crop failure. The local feudal lord, Tokugawa Muneshige (formerly Matsudaira Michiharu of the Yanagawa Domain), is said to have saved his people by providing seed rice. In gratitude, villagers began holding this festival to pray for abundant harvests and the prosperity of the five grains.

Thus, Tsutsuko Biki Matsuri is both a prayer for bountiful crops and a celebration of community resilience and gratitude.

A Living Folk Tradition in Fukushima

Today, the festival continues to embody strength, unity, and hope. The sight of nearly bare-chested men straining together in the crisp early March air creates an unforgettable spectacle—one that blends raw energy with centuries of history.

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