Niihama Taiko Festival

The Niihama Taiko Festival is an annual autumn festival held in Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, on October 16, 17, and 18 (October 15, 16, and 17 in the Ojoin area), and is known as one of the three major festivals in Shikoku.

The festival is held to pray for a good harvest and safety, and 54 taiko team parade through the city.

According to local tradition, the origin of the festival dates back to the Kamakura and Heian periods. However, as time went on, it was more and more often referred to as “taiko-dai.

From the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period, taiko drum stands were smaller than today's, the decorative screens were thinner, and the tent curtains were not as bulky as today's. However, the opening of the Besshi Copper Mine led to industrial development, Niihama City became more vibrant economically and in terms of human resources, and a sense of regional rivalry grew. The size of the decorations rapidly became larger and more luxurious.  Thus, taiko dais, still a type of float offered to the gods during festivals, became the centerpiece of festivals over the years because of their splendor. The festival is held on a different day in each district.
 

The Story of Kuchiya

With the opening of the Besshi Copper Mine in 1691, Niihama began its journey from a fishing village in the Seto Inland Sea to one of the leading industrial cities in Shikoku. Kuchiya was an important logistics hub for the delivery of crude copper to Osaka and for the delivery of daily commodities to the copper mine workers.

In 2006, the Kuchiya Taiko Team was born, named after the history of the copper mine, which was the foundation of Niihama's development.

To date, we have actively participated in tourism events outside of the city to promote the Niihama Taiko Matsuri throughout Japan, and we have also been involved in the “Niihama Taiko Team to Tohoku! Project - Youth Exchange at the Kesennuma Port Festival,” a project to support earthquake reconstruction, the ‘Furusato Matsuri Tokyo,’ a festival that brings together festivals from all over Japan to the Tokyo Dome, and participation in the ‘Matsuyama Autumn Festival O-mikoshi Sorene,’ a festival held at the Matsuyama Grand Shrine, are just a few examples.