The Dosojin tradition and Koshogatsu neighborhood rounds in Nishiodake, carried on by children
Dosojin Festival (Ishiuri and Dondoyaki)
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Around January 13 each year / Every year
- Location
- Take Shrine and the Nishiodake Neighborhood Association Hall
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Hadano City(From Tokyo: approx. 30 min–1 h · train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Age restrictions
- The event is carried out by local elementary-school boys.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Ishiuri, a tradition passed down in Nishiodake, Hadano City, is a Koshogatsu event in which children visit homes around the neighborhood with a handcart and deliver Dosojin stones and talismans. It keeps alive wishes for health and safety, along with a local tradition connected to Dondoyaki.
About Dosojin Festival (Ishiuri and Dondoyaki)
As part of the Dosojin Festival, the Ishiuri event is carried on in the Higashimachi and Kaidocho districts of Nishiodake.
Dosojin stones are delivered to homes as a prayer for children’s health and safety and for the blessing of having a boy.
New Year decorations, talismans, and oden are also part of this Koshogatsu custom, during which participants visit homes around the neighborhood.
Source: 石売り／秦野市公式ホームページ
Festival highlights
A highlight is seeing local elementary-school boys pull a handcart and visit homes in the neighborhood one by one.
They sell Dosojin stones, talismans, and oden. People who buy a talisman receive a small wrapped bundle of azuki rice.
The stones are collected the day after Dondoyaki and returned to their original place at the Dosojin shrine.
The Dosojin tradition and Koshogatsu neighborhood rounds in Nishiodake, carried on by children
What to expect
The event begins with participants gathering at Take Shrine or the Nishiodake Neighborhood Association Hall. The children then go from house to house with a handcart, collecting New Year decorations.
At each home, they sell Dosojin stones, talismans, and oden, and households that make a purchase receive a small wrapped bundle of azuki rice.
The day after Dondoyaki, the stones are collected from the households that bought them and returned to the Dosojin shrine.
How to take part
The event is primarily carried out by elementary-school boys who live in the Higashimachi and Kaidocho districts of Nishiodake.
A sixth-grade elementary-school student serves as the leader, known as the “taisho,” and visits homes in the area with a handcart.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Participants gather at Take Shrine or the Nishiodake Neighborhood Association Hall (281 Nishiodake, Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture).
The event takes place as participants visit homes in the Higashimachi and Kaidocho districts of Nishiodake.
Address 281 Nishiodake, Hadano City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Around January 13 each year
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Kanagawa Prefecture / Hadano City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
Ishiuri is not simply an event to watch at a venue; the children go around visiting homes in the area with a handcart.
The Dosojin stones are collected the day after Dondoyaki and returned to their original place.
When visiting or observing, please bear in mind that this event takes place as the participants go around local homes, and watch quietly without disrupting the children’s activities.
Nearby attractions
出雲大社相模分祠
神奈川県秦野市平沢にある神社
白笹稲荷神社
神奈川県秦野市今泉にある神社
Origins and History of Dosojin Festival (Ishiuri and Dondoyaki)
Ishiuri is an event passed down in Nishiodake since around the middle of the Meiji period.
The custom of buying Dosojin stones has continued as a prayer for children’s health and safety and for the blessing of having a boy.
To this day, elementary-school boys go around the neighborhood, sell stones, then collect them and return them to the Dosojin shrine, carrying on this tradition.
Official information
The official Hadano City website provides information about the Ishiuri event in the Higashimachi and Kaidocho districts of Nishiodake, including when it is held, where participants gather, how the event unfolds, and the wishes behind it.
The listed contact is the Cultural Properties and City History Section of the Lifelong Learning Division, Department of Culture and Sports, Hadano City.
Dosojin Festival (Ishiuri and Dondoyaki) at a Glance
Ishiuri, part of the Dosojin Festival, is a Koshogatsu event in Nishiodake that dates back to around the middle of the Meiji period.
Elementary-school boys visit homes with a handcart, selling Dosojin stones, talismans, and oden while collecting New Year decorations.
This local custom is meant to pray for children’s health and safety, and returning the stones after Dondoyaki is an important part of the tradition.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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