A procession in Tochiizumi, where children carry seasonal Hanayama and pass on their prayers
Hanayama event
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year May 5 / Every year
- Location
- From Tochii Shrine through the Tochiizumi area
- Area
- Fukui Prefecture・Fukui City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 50 min–3 h 20 min · bullet 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Age restrictions
- Boys aged 0–15 take part, and girls are also allowed to participate. Infants and toddlers take part in their parents’ arms.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A traditional Fukui event in which children carry Hanayama decorated with seasonal flowers through the neighborhoods of Tochiizumi.
About Hanayama event
The Hanayama event is a children’s festival held in the Tochiizumi area of Fukui City during Tango no Sekku.
Boys from the area carry Hanayama and dedicate them at Tochii Shrine, praying for the children’s healthy growth, protection from fires, and abundant harvests.
The tradition has been passed down in Tochiizumi-cho as a Fukui Prefecture-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Source: 花山行事 - Wikipedia / 文化財詳細 | 福井県文化財ページ
Festival highlights
The highlight is a procession of children carrying Hanayama decorated with seasonal flowers.
Hanayama are made from green bamboo fashioned to resemble spears, with straw wrapped around the upper part and decorations such as azaleas, peonies, and wisteria.
Yakudans wearing flower-braided hats and carrying swords and batons take positions at the front, middle, and rear of the procession, which advances to chants of “Hanayama Gongen.”
A procession in Tochiizumi, where children carry seasonal Hanayama and pass on their prayers
What to expect
The event begins at Tochii Shrine, and children carrying Hanayama make a circuit of the village.
Infants and toddlers join in their parents’ arms, and the group proceeds together to the calls of the yakudans.
After returning to the shrine precincts and finishing the event, they break their belongings and toss cords and hats up into the cedar branches in front of the shrine, leaving them caught there.
How to take part
The children of the Tochiizumi district are at the heart of the event.
Traditionally, this was an event for boys, but it is said that girls have also been allowed to participate since 2000, against the backdrop of a declining number of children due to the falling birthrate.
Infants and toddlers take part in their parents’ arms.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The procession makes a circuit of the Tochiizumi area, starting from Tochii Shrine.
The address is Tochiizumi-cho, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture.
Address Tochiizumi-cho, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture
Dates and season
The Hanayama event is held annually on May 5.
This event is held to coincide with the Boys’ Day Festival, and its public access status is also listed as May 5.
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 Fukui Prefecture / Fukui City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The procession makes a circuit of the Tochiizumi area, starting from Tochii Shrine, so please take care not to impede the local proceedings when watching.
During the event, children carry Hanayama as they move along. In the shrine precincts, they break their belongings and toss cords and hats up into the branches of cedar trees.
Follow on-site instructions about where you may watch and any guidance on the day.
Nearby attractions
おさごえ民家園
福井県福井市にある博物館
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柴田神社
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Shinmei Jinja
福井県福井市にある神社
福井市愛宕坂茶道美術館
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福井県福井市にある博物館
福井市立郷土歴史博物館
福井県福井市にある博物館
福井市美術館
福井県福井市にある美術館
写真：藤谷良秀 (Yoshihide Fujitani) / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source ·
福井市自然史博物館
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福井県立こども歴史文化館
福井県福井市城東にある博物館
Origins and History of Hanayama event
No old records of the Hanayama event survive, so its exact origins are unclear.
It is said to have begun in Tochiizumi, a settlement of Heike fugitives, so that people could pass down to later generations their feelings and pride in having been samurai.
The event is said to have once been a formal occasion for adults. It later evolved into a children’s festival for Tango no Sekku and was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukui Prefecture on May 15, 1962.
Official information
The Fukui Prefecture cultural properties page lists the designation category, place of transmission, public viewing date, and event details for the Hanayama event.
It is also featured as a traditional performing art of Tochiizumi-cho in “Traditional Performing Arts of Fukui” at the Fukui City Museum of Local History.
Source: 福井の伝統芸能
Hanayama event at a Glance
The Hanayama event is a Tango no Sekku festival that has been passed down in the Tochiizumi area of Fukui City.
Children carry Hanayama decorated with seasonal flowers and walk through the area chanting in unison.
As a prefecture-designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property, the event gives form to local prayers for children’s growth and abundant harvests.
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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