Yomizome Ceremony at the Former Shizutani School 2027 | New Year Reading in a National Treasure Hall, in Bizen near Hinase
At the Former Shizutani School, a 17th-century school for commoners, visitors start the new year by reading Confucian texts aloud in the National Treasure lecture hall. Advance registration is required.
What is it?
The Former Shizutani School was founded in the 17th century by the Okayama domain as a school for ordinary people, not just samurai. Its lecture hall, roofed with Bizen-yaki ceramic tiles, is a designated National Treasure and part of a Japan Heritage site on early-modern education.
Yomizome means "first reading of the year." Participants enter the lecture hall and read classical texts such as the Analects of Confucius aloud together. Reading in unison on the polished wooden floor, in the quiet of a winter morning, is a rare way to experience a Japanese New Year.
Dates and venue
- Date: Monday, January 4, 2027, 10:00–11:30
- Venue: Former Shizutani School (Shizutani, Bizen City, Okayama)
- Advance registration is required, and it closes once capacity is reached.
- The participation fee includes site admission. You will need an extra pair of socks to wear inside the hall.
- For registration and other details, please check the official information.
Getting there from our stay
The school is in Bizen City, the same city as our Hinase stay. Driving is recommended; the route heads into the hills inland. Winter mornings can be cold, so allow extra time.
Tips
- After the ceremony, stroll the grounds and see the rounded stone wall and the famous Chinese pistache trees.
- On the way back, stop in Imbe to visit kilns and galleries of Bizen-yaki, the same pottery used for the hall's roof tiles.
- Winter is oyster season in Hinase. Try kaki-oko, a local savory pancake (okonomiyaki) made with oysters.
Official information
Begin the new year at a slower pace, with our Hinase stay as your base for a quiet Bizen winter.