Hayama Festival is held at Hayama Shrine in Mimata-cho, Kita-Morokata-gun, Miyazaki Pref. on April 29 every year. It is said to be one of the two largest festivals in the area including Miyakonojo City and Kitamorokata County. In 1870, when Michitsune Mishima, a Home Ministry bureaucrat, consolidated Katsuoka village and Kajiyama village into Mitsumata village, he promoted this local event into a large festival, where a lot of spectators gathered together to see the dance performance.
In the precinct of the shrine, Jankan Horse Dance is dedicated. Horses beautifully decorated with colorful cloth and artificial flowers dance to the rhythm of Japanese drums and shamisen. Also the folk performing art of Bo-Odori (the stick dance) and Yakko-Odori (the samurai’s male-servants’ dance) are dedicated. After the dances are finished in the precinct, the dancers go out to every village and show the dances again, which is called “Niwa-modoshi.” Several groups from local areas give music performances and dances on the stage in the precinct. The tournaments of Japanese archery, Kendo, Judo and Shihanmato archery are held at other venues in the town. Folk performing art and marshal arts are finely combined in this traditional festival.