Sendai Otsunahiki: A Seven-Ton Rope Tug of War at Night

On the day before the autumn equinox each year, the city of Satsumasendai in Kagoshima Prefecture closes its main highway for one of the most physical festivals in Japan. The rope is about 365 metres long, roughly 40 centimetres thick and weighs about seven tons, with a large loop called a wasa at each end. Around 3,000 men, stripped to the waist and wearing a white cotton sash, divide into two sides and haul on it. Tradition holds that the contest began in 1600, when Shimazu Yoshihiro used it to raise the morale of troops heading for the Battle of Sekigahara.

Half a Day Spent Twisting 365 Ropes Into One

The event is not only the night contest. It starts at dawn with tsunane, the making of the rope from 365 separate straw ropes. About 1,500 residents gather in the street and, calling out in time, twist and plait them together over roughly half a day into a single enormous cable. The smell of straw fills the road, and the rope thickens until what lies across the asphalt looks less like rope than like some grey brown animal at rest. A new rope is made from scratch every year, and this process is itself part of the designated cultural property.

The Highway Becomes an Arena

After dark, with traffic restrictions in force and lights strung over National Route 3, the atmosphere changes completely. Drums begin, and the men take their places on either side of the rope. There are pulling teams, pushing teams whose job is to drive into the opposing side, and drum teams that set the rhythm, with commands coming from the lead drummer and the captains.

At the signal several thousand people move at once. The rope creaks, dust rises, shouting and drumming blur into a sound you feel in your chest rather than hear. How long it takes to settle varies from year to year, and some years end in a draw.

Why It Has Survived Four Centuries

Satsumasendai City records the origin as the year 1600, with Shimazu Yoshihiro ordering the contest before Sekigahara, and it has continued for more than four hundred years. It was designated a folk cultural property by Kagoshima Prefecture in 2006 and an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan on 21 March 2024. The national listing highlights its two parts, the rope making and the contest, and the coordinated movement of drum, pulling and pushing teams.

Tips for Visiting

There are two things to see, the morning rope making and the night contest, and they are hours apart. If you plan to catch both, use the middle of the day to rest in town. During the contest thousands of people move at once, so follow the marshals and do not approach the rope, which can lurch towards the pavement without warning.

You will be standing outdoors for a long stretch at night, so bring an extra layer and something to drink. Note also that the section of road used alternates between the Mukoda side and the Daishoji side depending on the year, so check the official site before you set out. The hot spring at Shibi in the hills to the north is an easy way to recover afterwards.

Getting There

The venue is roughly 10 to 20 minutes on foot from JR Sendai Station, depending on which section is used that year. National Route 3 is closed for many hours and surrounding roads are congested, so the city asks visitors to use public transport. Basing yourself at Sendai Station, a stop on the Kyushu Shinkansen, is simplest.

Practical Information

• Dates: the day before the autumn equinox every year. The organisers announced 22 September for 2026.
• Venue: National Route 3 in central Satsumasendai City. The section alternates between the Mukoda and Daishoji sides by year.
• Organiser: Sendai Otsunahiki Preservation Society, 0996-21-1851; Satsumasendai City Tourism and Products Division, 0996-23-5111
• Access: about 10 to 20 minutes on foot from JR Sendai Station
• Parking: National Route 3 is closed. Visitors are asked to use public transport.
• Designation: prefectural folk cultural property 2006; Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, 21 March 2024
• Official website: https://sendai-ootsuna.jimdofree.com/

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

(Sources: Sendai Otsunahiki Preservation Society official website, Satsumasendai City official website, Kagoshima Prefecture official website, Agency for Cultural Affairs Cultural Heritage Online, Kagoshima Prefecture official tourism website)