Niu Shrine is a historic Shinto shrine located in Egawa, Hidakagawa Town, Wakayama Prefecture. Surrounded by the mountains and forests of the Hidaka River region, the shrine has long been closely connected with the lives, beliefs, and traditions of the local community.
The shrine is particularly famous for its unusual autumn festival, known as the Warai Festival, or “Festival of Laughter.” Officially called the Niu Festival, this traditional celebration is designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Wakayama Prefecture.
Unlike most traditional festivals, where solemn ceremonies and prayers are the main focus, the Warai Festival places laughter at the center of the celebration. On festival day, cheerful voices calling “Warai, warai!”—“Laugh, laugh!”—echo through the mountain village, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere.
The festival is one of the most distinctive traditional events in Wakayama and attracts visitors from both inside and outside the prefecture.
The present-day Niu Shrine was established as a result of a major shrine consolidation policy carried out during Japan’s Meiji period (1868–1912).
In 1906, the Japanese government introduced a policy known as the Shrine Consolidation Order. As part of this process, several shrines in the former Niu Village—including those associated with the areas of Wasa, Egawa, Yamano, and Matsuse—were consolidated. In 1909, they were brought together to form the present Niu Shrine.
The shrine’s traditions developed around Egawa Hachimangu, where local deities had long been worshipped. Today, the shrine’s principal deity is Hachiman Okami, while Niu Tsumihime-no-Mikoto, an important female deity associated with water, agriculture, and prosperity, is also enshrined.
Niu Tsumihime-no-Mikoto has traditionally been revered as a deity connected with water, farming, and abundant harvests.
The Hidaka River basin has long been blessed with forests, clean water, and fertile natural resources. For communities that depended closely on the mountains and river, worship of a deity associated with water and agricultural prosperity was deeply meaningful.
This connection between the local landscape and religious traditions remains an important part of the cultural character of Niu Shrine.
The origin of the Warai Festival is connected with an amusing legend from Japanese mythology.
According to traditional belief, the tenth month of the old Japanese lunar calendar was a time when deities from throughout Japan gathered at Izumo, in present-day Shimane Prefecture. Because so many gods were believed to leave their home regions and travel to Izumo, this month is traditionally known in many parts of Japan as Kannazuki, or the “month without gods.”
The story says that Niu Tsumihime-no-Mikoto overslept on the day she was supposed to join the gathering. She was so upset and embarrassed that she shut herself away inside her shrine.
The villagers were worried about the goddess. To cheer her up, they called out to her, saying “Warai, warai!”—“Laugh, laugh!”—and encouraged her to smile again.
This act of comforting the goddess is said to have become the origin of the Warai Festival.
The idea that laughter can drive away misfortune and invite good fortune appears in various forms throughout Japanese folk culture. However, a festival that places laughter so prominently at the heart of its rituals is exceptionally rare.
One of the most memorable figures in the Warai Festival is the Suzufuri, a ceremonial performer whose appearance is both humorous and charming.
The Suzufuri wears colorful traditional clothing and has a face painted white with distinctive eyebrows shaped like the number eight. Holding bells, the performer walks through the festival procession while calling out “Warai, warai!” and encouraging people along the route to laugh.
The unusual appearance immediately catches the attention of visitors. The combination of the white-painted face, colorful costume, bells, and cheerful calls gives the festival a playful atmosphere unlike that of many other traditional Japanese religious ceremonies.
As the procession moves through the community, local residents and visitors begin laughing together. The laughter spreads from person to person, creating a remarkable sense of unity throughout the festival.
The Warai Festival also includes a number of traditional ceremonies that are considerably more solemn and dramatic.
At around 9:00 a.m., a ritual known as the “Meeting of the Oni” takes place near the festival’s temporary sacred site, or otabisho.
In this ceremony, the oni—traditional Japanese ritual figures representing powerful supernatural beings—from Egawa welcome the oni from the Yamano, Matsuse, and Wasa districts.
The figures face one another and perform distinctive ritual movements while making sounds with ceremonial weapons and bamboo instruments such as hoko spears and sasara. The dramatic scene is one of the important highlights of the festival.
Other traditional performances are also presented, including lion dances, yotsudaiko drumming, and dances handed down through individual districts.
Following the Suzufuri performer are people known as Masumochi, who carry traditional wooden measuring boxes called masu.
The masu contain agricultural products such as mandarins, symbolizing wishes for a good harvest and prosperity. The participants move through the festival while laughing loudly and calling out “Warai, warai!”
The cheerful procession creates an atmosphere of celebration throughout the village.
There is also a particularly popular moment for children and visitors: sweets are scattered from a ceremonial treasure box carried by the Suzufuri. The excitement and laughter of the crowd add to the welcoming and participatory character of the festival.
The Warai Festival is much more than a tourist attraction. It is a living cultural tradition maintained by the local community and passed down from one generation to the next.
Before the local shrines were consolidated, each district of the former Niu Village had its own festivals and performing arts.
These included the Wasa Warai Festival, the Egawa Yakko Dance, the Yamano Sparrow Dance, and the Matsuse Takema-style performance. After the shrine consolidation, elements of these different local traditions came together and became part of the Niu Festival.
As a result, the modern festival preserves characteristics from several communities. For visitors, the event offers an especially valuable opportunity to discover the history, beliefs, performing arts, and community traditions of the Hidaka River region.
At the heart of the Warai Festival is a simple but powerful idea: laughter brings people together and lifts the human spirit.
Modern life can be busy, and people do not always have many opportunities to laugh freely with strangers. At this festival, however, laughter becomes a shared experience. Local residents and visitors can smile together, respond to the cheerful calls of the performers, and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
The tradition is said to have begun as an attempt to comfort a saddened goddess. Today, that same tradition continues to bring happiness not only to the local community but also to people who come from outside the region.
Niu Shrine is located in Hidakagawa Town, a rural area surrounded by mountains and crossed by the clear Hidaka River.
The landscape changes beautifully with the seasons. Autumn, when the Warai Festival takes place, offers crisp air and colorful mountain scenery, creating a particularly attractive setting for exploring the region.
The wider Hidakagawa area is also home to hot springs, scenic landscapes, traditional food, and other cultural attractions. Visitors can combine a trip to Niu Shrine with sightseeing in the surrounding countryside and experience the peaceful atmosphere of rural Wakayama.
During the Warai Festival season, the entire community takes on a festive atmosphere. It is also an opportunity to experience the hospitality of local residents and see how traditional culture continues to play an active role in community life.
Niu Shrine is sometimes described as a “Shrine of Laughter.” The name reflects the unique tradition of using laughter to comfort the gods, ward off misfortune, and invite happiness.
Every year in October, the Warai Festival fills the mountain village with laughter, colorful costumes, traditional music, ritual performances, and joyful voices. At the same time, the festival carries the history and traditions of the local communities into the present day.
For travelers looking for an experience beyond Japan’s famous temples, castles, and major festivals, Niu Shrine and the Warai Festival offer a fascinating glimpse into the living folk culture of rural Japan.
When visiting Hidakagawa Town, consider adding Niu Shrine to your itinerary. Here, among the mountains of Wakayama, you can discover a festival unlike almost any other—a celebration where laughter itself becomes a way of sharing happiness, community, and good fortune.