Wed
Jun 25th
Costumed participants plant the year's first rice crop in Arao
Costumed participants plant the year's first rice crop in Arao (Photo: Mandy Bartok)

Arao Rice Planting Festival 2025

Planting Japan's staple crop

Mandy Bartok   - 1 min read
Venue : Hachimandai When : Wednesday - Jun 25th 2025, 10:00am - 12:00pm

The small town of Arao in the northwestern part of Kumamoto prefecture welcomes the rice planting season with a small festival celebrating this staple food in the Japanese diet. It's known as the Arao Rice Planting Festival, or Nobara Hachimangu Otaue-sai.

Arao’s agriculture heritage allegedly stretched back over a millennium. This history is celebrated in an hour-long festival at the rice paddies adjacent to the town’s Hachiman Shrine. Masked dancers kick off the event before local women in traditional dress move to the paddies for the planting. They’re often joined by local school children and Kumamon, the popular mascot of Kumamoto.

Getting there

Public transportation is very limited; for drivers, there is free parking in and around the shrine.

Mandy Bartok

Mandy Bartok @mandy.bartok

Japan resident for 10 years, with time spent in Okinawa, Kumamoto and Tokyo.