A Little New Year’s event in Ishigama, with straw tobi and calls ringing through the neighborhood
Ishigama no Tobitobi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Little New Year (formerly January 14; in recent years, the Saturday closest to the 14th)
- Location
- The Ishigama community center and homes in the Ishigama neighborhoods
- Area
- Fukuoka Prefecture・Fukuoka City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 min · flight time only)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
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Ishigama no Tobitobi is a Little New Year’s event in Ishigama, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City, where children wearing straw tobi visit homes. This distinctive visiting custom, in which they deliver wa-nawa amid calls and get splashed with water, has been passed down.
About Ishigama no Tobitobi
Ishigama no Tobitobi is a visiting-deity event held during the Little New Year in Ishigama, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City, and is designated a municipal cultural property.
In the evening, boys and girls gather at the community center, split into groups by neighborhood with adult supervisors, and visit local homes.
Wearing “tobi,” made by tying the top of a bundle of straw, they call out “Tōbi,” hand over a wa-nawa shimenawa, and receive a celebratory gift from the residents.
Festival highlights
The highlight is seeing children wearing large tobi made of straw as they go from house to house.
At each home, they call out “Tōbi” and hand over a wa-nawa shimenawa, after which the residents splash water on the tobi.
A straw horse is also given, along with a wa-nawa shimenawa, to homes where a boy was born during the past year; homes where a girl was born receive a straw shrimp.
A Little New Year’s event in Ishigama, with straw tobi and calls ringing through the neighborhood
What to expect
The event begins with everyone gathering at the community center in the evening. The children split into groups by neighborhood with adult supervisors and visit local homes.
At the front of each home, they call out, and when the tobi hands over a wa-nawa shimenawa, the residents give a celebratory gift and splash water on them.
After the visits, everyone returns to the community center. The wa-nawa shimenawa they received are offered at household altars and other places, and one account also describes a custom of tossing them onto the roof the following day.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Ishigama, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City; the community center and homes in the Ishigama area
Address Ishigama, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City
Dates and season
- Season
Little New Year (formerly January 14; in recent years, the Saturday closest to the 14th)
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 Fukuoka Prefecture / Fukuoka City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Sumiyoshi Shrine
福岡県福岡市博多区住吉にある神社
博多ポートタワー
博多港にあるタワー
Ohori Park
福岡市中央区の公園
写真：Tzuhsun Hsu from Taipei, Taiwan / CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo source ·
志賀海神社
福岡県福岡市東区にある神社
海の中道海浜公園
福岡県福岡市東区にある国営公園
福岡アジア美術館
福岡市博多区にある美術館
福岡タワー
福岡市早良区の電波塔
福岡城
福岡市中央区にある城
福岡市動植物園
福岡市の動物園及び植物園
福岡市博物館
福岡市早良区にある博物館
福岡市美術館
福岡市中央区の大濠公園にある美術館
Origins and History of Ishigama no Tobitobi
The Fukuoka City Museum says that Tobitobi was once held during the Little New Year in various parts of Fukuoka City, and that it is now held only in the Ishigama area of Sawara Ward.
In the past, children in Ishigama handled everything from making the straw crafts to carrying out the event, with older children teaching younger ones how to make them.
After a period when the youth association took charge, efforts are now being made to continue it as an event organized by the children’s association.
Official information
The official Sawara Ward page introduces Ishigama no Tobitobi as a municipal cultural property.
The Fukuoka City Museum archives describe the event’s sequence and how it has been passed down in the Ishigama area.
Ishigama no Tobitobi at a Glance
Ishigama no Tobitobi is a visiting-deity event held during the Little New Year in Ishigama, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City.
Children wear straw tobi as they visit homes in the neighborhood, hand over wa-nawa shimenawa, and receive celebratory gifts, while residents splash them with water.
The event is also associated with giving straw horses or shrimp to homes with newborns, hopes for abundant water and a good harvest, and changes in who carries it on.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
