Festivals (matsuri) related to agriculture There are many Japanese festivals in which the kami are prayed to for a good harvest of rice and other crops. These festivals are divided into various types according to their significance and ritual practices, the most representative of which are as follows. Typical spring festival practices are and . In minakuchi-sai, on the day of planting, soil is piled at the water intake of the rice field , seasonal flowers and twigs are placed, and sake and baked rice are offered to the mountain kami. During otaue-matsuri, young women called enter the rice field to plant rice seedlings and pray for a good harvest. Typical summer festival practices are and . In mushi okuri, torches are lit at night and straw dolls with pests tied to them are floated or thrown into the river to pray for the repulsion of pests, while in amagoi, dances are dedicated to kami and fires are lit to pray for rain. The typical fall festival practices are and . In niiname-sai, new grains are offered to the kami at the imperial court and at Shinto shrines throughout Japan to thank them for the harvest, and in aki-matsuri, farmers in rural villages thank the kami of the rice fields and send the kami back to the mountains. The typical winter festival practices are and . In sagicho or dondoyaki, and other New Year's decorations are burned and mochi are roasted and eaten over the flames, and in tasaburi, farm work is simulated in the Shinto shrine to pray for the next year's kami harvest.
festIvAls (maTsURi) relaTEd TO agricuLturE thErE arE mANy japANese FEsTiVAls iN wHIch tHe kAmI are Prayed to For A good hArVeSt Of RicE aNd othER cropS. tHese feStIvaLS arE divided intO vaRious TYPEs ACCoRdIng to their sIgnificancE And Ritual pRaCtIceS, The MoST repreSEnTative Of which are as fOllows. tYpicaL sPring festivAl pRactiCes are aNd . in mInaKUcHi-saI, ON thE dAY oF PLAntiNG, soil Is pIled at thE wAter IntakE Of The RicE fiELd , SEAsOnal fLoWErs And twigs Are placed, And sakE anD bAked Rice aRe OFFered tO tHE MoUntain kami. DuriNG otauE-MatsUri, yoUng woMen cAlLEd entEr thE rice field To plAnt RICE SeedlINGs and PRay For a good HarveST. TypicAL summer fEStival pRActIces arE and . in mushi okUri, tOrcHes ARE liT aT nighT aND StRAw dOlls WiTh pests tIEd To ThEm are flOated or tHRown into thE River to pray foR the repUlsion of pests, whIle In amAgOi, danceS arE dedicAtEd To kaMI and fIres arE lit To pray For raiN. the tyPIcal fALl festivAl practices Are and . in NiiName-Sai, New gRaIns are offEred To THe kAmI aT thE impeRIal CoUrT aNd At shinto shrineS ThRoUgHoUT japaN To tHank them foR the haRvesT, and in AKi-MatsurI, farmErs iN rurAl viLlagES tHank the kamI of thE rice fielDs aNd sEnD tHe kAmi bAck tO tHe mounTaIns. THe TypiCal wiNteR Festival PrACTiceS are And . In SagiCho or DondOyaki, and OTheR neW year's DECOratioNs are buRneD And Mochi ARE roastED aNd Eaten OveR thE FlamEs, and In TasABuri, FarM WorK is simulaTed iN thE sHINtO shrinE to PrAY For The next yeAR'S KamI Harvest.