Joma Shinji at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮 除魔神事)

What Is the Joma Shinji at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine?

The Joma Shinji (除魔神事) is a New Year Shinto ritual held every January 5 at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine (鶴岡八幡宮) in Kamakura (鎌倉) to drive away evil for the year with bows and arrows. It comes from the archery ceremonies called Omato Hajime (御的始) and Oyumi Hajime (御弓始) that Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝) held at his shogunate to begin the samurai year. Bows and arrows have long been believed to have the power to drive away evil, and the shrine’s hamaya (破魔矢), the evil-repelling arrows given out at New Year, come from the same belief and tradition. Because a large target is shot at, the ritual is also called the Omato Shiki (大的式), the Great Target Ceremony.

Date and Time

The Joma Shinji begins every January 5 at 10:00 AM with a rite at the Maiden (舞殿), the dance hall also called the Shimo-Haiden (下拝殿, Lower Worship Hall), which stands directly in front of the Grand Stone Staircase (大石段) leading up to the Main Shrine (本宮). After the rite, the ceremony moves to an archery ground set up in the open area on the west side of the Maiden, to the back left as you face it, where the archery rituals take place.

Highlights

At the archery ground, the Hikime no Gi (蟇目の儀) comes first. An archer of the Ogasawara-ryu (小笠原流) school of archery shoots a single arrow fitted with a large hikime-kabura (蟇目鏑), a hollow whistling head, at a stretched target cloth called the matokawa (的革). The sound the arrow makes in flight is said to drive away evil.

In the Omato Shiki that follows, a great target 5 shaku 2 sun (about 156 cm) across is raised. The character for oni (鬼), meaning “demon,” is sealed on its back, written without its horns and set upside down. The ceremony begins when the archers answer the call “Omato Shiki hajimemasei” (大的式始めませい). Six archers in eboshi (烏帽子) hats and hitatare (直垂) robes step forward two at a time and each shoot two arrows into the target from 15 ken (about 27 m) away. They draw their bows praying for peace in the land and prosperity at home. Each archer is attended by a kaizoe (介添), an assistant, and their old-style movements, such as handing over the arrows, are also worth watching.

Watching the Ritual

Members of the public watch standing around the archery ground. The rite at the Maiden takes about 30 minutes, and watching it from the left side as you face the Maiden makes it easier to move to the archery ground afterward. Crowds of onlookers gather around the archery ground at the start, but the archery lasts about an hour as the six archers shoot in turn, and the crowd thins out as time goes on. There is no need to rush, and it is best to take photos once the crowd has thinned. Many people are still making New Year visits on January 5, so the shrine grounds get crowded.

For the New Year visit and the shrine’s other New Year rituals, see Hatsumode at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. For Kamakura’s work-starting ceremony held in front of the Maiden the day before, on January 4, see Chona Hajime Shiki at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. For the fire ritual on the morning of January 15, when New Year decorations are burned, see Sagicho Shinji at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. For the year-end Oharae on New Year’s Eve and the burning of old talismans, see Year-End Oharae and Koshinsatsu Shonosai at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

Access | Visiting During Your Stay at Toshi’s Place

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is about a 10-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Kamakura Station (鎌倉駅) or from Enoden (江ノ電) Kamakura Station. If you are staying at Toshi’s Place, take the Enoden from Hase Station (長谷駅) or Wadazuka Station (和田塚駅) to Kamakura Station, then walk along Wakamiya-oji Avenue (若宮大路).

At Toshi’s Place, fully unstaffed smart hotels with fully equipped kitchens and room-only stays, you can head out to Kamakura’s New Year events at your own pace.

Summary

The Joma Shinji at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is a New Year ritual held every January 5 at the Maiden and the archery ground to its west, driving away evil with bows and arrows. From the whistling arrow of the Hikime no Gi to the Omato Shiki, in which six archers shoot at a great target with the demon character sealed on its back, the samurai customs for starting the year unfold one after another. For the shrine’s highlights throughout the year, see Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.

Basic Information

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