Mamada no Jaga Maita

Every year on May 5, the town of Mamade in Oyama City, celebrates Mamade no Jagamaita, a spectacular folk festival that blends myth, ritual, and community spirit. Held just before the rice-planting season, the festival is dedicated to prayers for a bountiful harvest and protection from epidemics.

The highlight of the event is the sight of children carrying enormous serpents - each more than 15 meters long, with a dragon’s head and snake’s body - parading through the town while chanting “Ja-ga-maita, Ja-ga-maita”. Unlike other festivals featuring snake or dragon imagery, Mamade’s version is unique for bringing out multiple giant snake effigies at once. These snakes are not only paraded but also immersed in a pond as part of a rainmaking ritual. Because of its cultural importance, the festival was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2019.

Origins and Legends

The exact origins of Jagamaita remain uncertain, though oral tradition suggests the festival has been held for nearly 400 years. Two major legends explain its beginnings:

• The Eight Great Dragon Kings Theory: According to Buddhist lore, eight dragon kings caused rain to fall at the time of the Buddha’s birth. This belief spread to Mamade, where villagers created dragon-shaped snake effigies, carrying them through town to pray for rain, a good harvest, and protection from disease.

• The Horyu Torin Theory: Another story tells of Horyu Torin, a priest who crafted a dragon model during a devastating drought and epidemic. His prayers brought rain and ended the plague, inspiring villagers to repeat the practice annually.

Today, the first theory is more widely accepted, reinforced by the presence of Hachiryu Shrine at Mamade Hachiman Shrine and the tradition of carrying banners dedicated to the Eight Dragon Kings.

The festival’s form has changed over the centuries. In the late Edo period, Mamade was divided into two districts, each producing one snake. By the Meiji era, five districts each made their own, with children carrying the snakes by day and young men by night. The nighttime celebrations were especially lively, often rowdy, and fueled by sacred sake.

By the early Showa era, the festival had grown larger, and snake effigies became more elaborate. Snakes would even be invited into household entrances to ward off misfortune, where families offered sake and coins to the carriers. A unique custom in Mamade 3-chome had the snake circling the former village headman’s storehouse three times in a ritual called Kura-mawari.

Another tradition, “Ja-momi” (snake wrestling) - in which snakes were pressed and clashed together - declined in the 1970s but has been revived in recent years, adding a dramatic climax to the festivities.

Festival Highlights

The modern festival program still follows traditional steps, beginning with snake making (ja-zukuri) led by middle school students in each district. On the day itself:

• Snake Gathering – Snakes, freshly decorated, parade to Mamade Hachiman Shrine around 10:30.

• Purification Ritual – The snakes are blessed by a priest, sake is poured into their mouths, and they circle the shrine.

• Water-Drinking Ritual – The snakes are plunged into Benten Pond to drink, splashing water and thrilling the crowd of more than 10,000 spectators.

• Procession – Snakes parade through neighbourhoods, sometimes welcomed into homes to bestow blessings.

• Snake Wrestling (Ja-momi) – In the evening, the snakes thrash and twist in a powerful finale.

Throughout the day, the carriers shout the traditional chant: “Ja-ga-maita!” Its exact meaning is debated - some say it comes from “Ja ga maitta” (“The snake has arrived”), while others believe it derives from “Ja ga maita” (“The snake coiled itself”).

More than just a colourful spectacle, Mamade no Jagamaita is a living tradition that reflects the community’s ties to agriculture, spirituality, and folklore. Rooted in centuries of history yet still vibrant today, it remains one of Japan’s most remarkable folk festivals.