This is a list of 342 Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties of Japan.
Criteria It must exemplify something original in the Japanese people's everyday life in terms of origin and content, and be typical. It must exemplify the process of evolution of some technique. It must exemplify some local characteristic.
Designated cultural properties
Manners and customs
Manufacture, livelihood 9 designations. All were designated under Criteria 1. Name Date Remarks LocationImage July 2July 1 in leap years. (Keitokumachi) and July 12 (Takada) Rice planting festival as a prayer for abundant harvest held at Inari Shrine, Keitokumachi and at Isasumi Shrine. Snake festival in which a long snake made of straw, fern and wisteria is paraded by children through the district. The event is a prayer for abundant harvest and good health. Spring hoe festival including theatrical performances of various stages of the farming process. Seen as a prayer for abundant crops, the festival's earliest record is from 1798. Using a crude model boat of (green bamboo), within the shrine precincts, bonito fishermen are simulating all stages of their work from departure, over fishing to return to the port. This is seen as a prayer for a good catch. end of May Seedlings are planted in a circular fashion by three or four workers while singing. and December 5 Agricultural festival of rice farmers on the Noto Peninsula in which the deity of the rice field is invited to the house and entertained. The December event is to express gratitude for the harvest, while the event in February is meant to ensure an abundant harvest. The ritual has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. first Sunday in June Rice-planting ritual starting with a performance of musicians welcoming the of the fields and decorated cows being led into the field. A phalanx of planting girls then carries out the actual planting accompanied by songs, large and small drums, gongs and flutes. The event has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 13th day of first month and 25th day of 9th month (Aso Shrine); 16th day of first month and 23rd, 24th days of 9th month (Kuninomiyako Shrine) A series of agricultural festivals associated with the four seasons and enacted as a prayer for abundant crops and as a thanks for the harvest, among these: rice field festival (), making the field (), fire swinging ritual (), , rite, fire rite, and the festival. Ritual rice planting event accompanied by song and drums as a prayer for an abundant harvest.
Life rituals 6 designations. All were designated under Criteria 1. Name Date Description/Remarks LocationImage An event in which young children between the age of 7 and 9 from the village of Izumiyama climb Mt. Nakui to worship at mountain shrines. 15th and 16th day of 8th month An event in which 7-year-old boys climb nearby Hanedayama to pray for their healthy growth. First Sunday in December An event, first attended by males around the age of 18, in which a procession of parishioners carrying colorful banners climb Kohatayama to worship at Okitsushima and Hayama shrines. A traditional coming of age ceremony for 20-year-old males with roots in the late Edo period. Sunday near (Kagiage) and every second year on the day before Respect for the Aged Day (Sasakubo) A traditional sumo ring entrance ceremony performed by young boys as a prayer for the healthy growth of the children. No actual wrestling takes place. One day before the Coming of Age Day A series of events held for men and women who became married in the previous year. It concludes with a , burning of old .
Amusements, contests 11 designations, all under criterion 1. Name Date Remarks LocationImage Tug of war between two parts of Kariwano town featuring a giant straw rope, diameter and over long, held to pray for a rich harvest. Horseriding festival with riders clad in samurai armour of the Sengoku period, organized by Ōta Shrine, Odaka Shrine (Minamisōma) and Sōma Nakamura Shrine (Sōma). Second Sunday in October Shooting of homemade rockets from a scaffold structure, which when fired are meant to resemble dragons ascending to the heavens. The even is performed as appreciation for bountiful harvest. Ancient bull fighting event and only of its kind on Honshu. Tug of war between two teams representing Daikoku and Ebisu. The year is said to bring a good harvest if Daikoku wins, and a good catch if Ebisu wins. Tug of war between an adult and children group using a rope made of Japanese mugwort and sweet flag. If the adult group wins the 7th and final pull, it is said to become a good harvest. This is one of the five seasonal festivals (). Children tug of war with a rope made of sweet flag, Japanese mugwort and Japanese torreya. This is one of the five seasonal festivals (). Tug of war between the western and eastern parts of the district using a more than , rope. A win of the east is said to be a good harvest, if the west wins business is going to prosper. This is one of the five seasonal festivals (). Archery festival with origins in the early 10th century held in the precincts of Sanboko Shrine, in order to pray for an abundant harvest, bountiful fishing and to keep evil away. Tug of war between a "hill" and "beach" team using a long and wide rope. If the beach team wins it is said to be bountiful fishing in this year, if the hill team wins, the year is said to produce abundant crops. Tug of war with a 365 metres long, 40 centimetre diameter, 7 tons rope that is preceded by the weaving of the rope by all the residents.
Social life (knowledge of folk customs) 2 designations, all under criterion 1 Name Date Remarks Location Tea guessing event, where local residents welcome the gods, drink tea together, read the tea and predict the bounty in their lives. A ceremony held at the Yakushi Hall of Kichijō-ji involving the recitation of the Heart Sutra (known as ) and the protocol permitting three-year-old children to the village.
Annual functions or events 34 designations, all under criterion 1