In Maesawada, Tambasasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture (as well as in Kitasawada, where a similar festival is held), a unique festival known as the Hamo-kiri Festival (Hamo Cutting Festival) takes place at Sawadanomiya Hachiman Shrine. This festival is one of the three major unique festivals of Tambasasayama.

During the festival, a large hamo (daggertooth pike conger), symbolizing a giant serpent, is ceremonially slain. The Hamo Cutter, dressed in kamishimo (formal samurai attire) and wearing an eboshi (traditional headgear), dramatically cuts the hamo in half with a single stroke.

Festival Rituals and Performance

After a dengaku (traditional music and dance performance), the ominous arrival of the great serpent is signaled by the sound of banging on a sliding door. Eventually, the giant hamo, representing the serpent, is brought out on a large cutting board.

The Hamo Cutter, after intoxicating the serpent and putting it off guard, suddenly lifts the hamo and, in a dramatic gesture, severs its head with a deba-bocho (a traditional Japanese fish-cutting knife).

Following this symbolic exorcism, a celebratory toast is made with a large ceremonial sake cup, and the successful completion of the festival is reported to the shrine.

Origins and Significance of the Festival

The Sawada region was historically an area with many swamps and marshlands. This festival originates from legends honoring the pioneers who reclaimed and managed these waters.

The mountainous land of Tanba, far from the sea, uniquely compares the hamo to a great serpent, making this a truly one-of-a-kind festival.

This festival was also recognized by Kunio Yanagita, a famous Japanese folklorist, in his book "Festivals of Japan", and it has been officially designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset of Tambasasayama City.