The festival is comprised of the following three different stages.

1. River Festival: The Yakushas wade into the cold waters of the Shonai River and plant a tall bamboo pole in the riverbed, which one of them climbs. The pole invariably ruptures in the middle, and the direction it breaks is used in divination.
2. Ancient Procession: Shrine priests, the Yakushas, and parishioners parade down the main road to the temple in garb worn since time immemorial.
3. Main Festival / Purification Ritual: Each of the Yakushas perform their allotted tasks on the shrine grounds in order with ritualistic tools. Those who come in contact with the tools are said to be purified with evil driven away, so the Yakushas actually strike festival-goers with the tools.

The purification ritual may be what classifies this festival as one of the three strange festivals of the Owari region. Those who are currently of an unlucky age in Japanese tradition group together and are hit—rather hard—in the butts. This custom alone is something you won't see at other more typical festivals in Japan. The customs have been passed down through the generations and are designated intangible folk cultural properties by the city of Nagoya.