Onomichi Betcha Festival: Masked Demons Chasing Children

Held every year from November 1 to 3 as the grand festival of Kibitsuhiko Shrine, known locally as Ichinomiya Shrine, the Betcha Festival is one of the strangest events in Hiroshima Prefecture. Three masked demons called Beta, Shoki and Soba, together with a lion, move through the streets of Onomichi alongside the portable shrine, and their main occupation is chasing children. It is designated an intangible folk cultural property of the city of Onomichi. For three days the steep lanes and covered arcades of this Seto Inland Sea port ring with drums, laughter and the shrieks of children being pursued.

Children on the Run

The demons are unmistakably the stars. Parishioners put on the masks of Beta, Shoki and Soba and parade through town with the lion. Each carries an implement: the sasara, a split-bamboo clapper, and the iwaibo, a stout blessing stick. Tradition holds that a tap on the head with the sasara makes a child clever, and a poke with the stick brings fertility and a healthy year ahead. Blessing or not, a child genuinely pursued by a demon runs for their life. Chasers and runners tangle together while the drums keep going, and the mixture of laughter, crying and percussion is something you will not find at many other festivals.

Three Days, One Town

The festival unfolds over three distinct days. On the evening of November 1 the portable shrine leaves Ichinomiya Shrine and travels to a temporary resting place in the town. November 2 brings the main ceremony, and in the evening there are dedicatory performances including the Urayasu no Mai dance and Betcha taiko drumming. Then on November 3, from morning until evening, the shrine and the demons work their way through the whole of central Onomichi: the covered shopping street, Kurihara Hondori, Tenmacho, Kubo and Nagae Dori, threading through the lanes of a town built on a hillside, before returning to the shrine at dusk.

Born from a Prayer Against Epidemic

The origins go back to the Edo period. According to Onomichi's official tourism information, the festival began in 1807, when prayers were offered for relief from an epidemic sweeping the town. The magistrate of the day, Nanbu Tozaemon, is said to have ordered prayers at shrines and temples over three days and three nights, and the three-day schedule of the modern festival still echoes that. Kibitsuhiko Shrine itself is old: its rites are said to have begun in the Shitoku era, between 1384 and 1387, and it enshrines Kibitsuhiko no Mikoto. An urgent plea for the end of disease has survived into the present as a game of demons chasing children.

Tips for Visiting

The most rewarding day is November 3, when the procession spends the whole day crossing the town. Approximate routes and times are published in advance on the official website, so rather than chasing the procession, pick a point ahead of it and wait. If you are travelling with children, bear in mind that being struck is considered lucky, but very young children can be genuinely frightened; telling them beforehand that the tap is supposed to make them clever changes how they experience it. The town is full of slopes and stone steps, so wear comfortable shoes.

Getting There

Kibitsuhiko Shrine, the base of the festival, is about a 10-minute walk east from JR Onomichi Station along Route 2. The November 3 procession covers the central district between the station and Nagaeguchi, so the whole thing can be followed on foot from the station. Traffic restrictions apply in the town centre during the procession, so it is far easier to come by train than by car.

Practical Information

• Dates: November 1 to 3 every year
• Venue: Kibitsuhiko Shrine (Ichinomiya Shrine), 9-16 Higashitsuchidocho, Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and the central district of Onomichi
• Organiser and enquiries: Betcha Festival Preservation Society, tel. 0848-22-2320
• Access: About 10 minutes on foot east from JR Onomichi Station along Route 2
• Parking: No dedicated festival parking. Use paid car parks in the town centre
• Designation: Intangible folk cultural property of Onomichi City
• Official website: https://onomichi.main.jp/betcha/

* Dates, details and prices are subject to change. Please check the official website before you go.

(Sources: Onomichi Betcha Festival official website, Onomichi City official tourism website Ononavi)