Drums and wishes entrusted to the flames of a grand yagura: the Little New Year festival in Iwa, Manazuru
Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- January (Little New Year) / Every year
- Location
- Iwa Beach
- Area
- Kanagawa Prefecture・Manazuru Town(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
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Passed down in Iwa, Manazuru, the Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki is a Little New Year event in which New Year decorations are gathered at a large built by the community and set alight to the sound of drums.
About Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki
The Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki is a traditional Little New Year event held at Iwa Beach in Iwa, Manazuru.
It drives away misfortune for the year and offers prayers for the safety and prosperity of households and the community, and for a year free of illness and misfortune.
Designated an important traditional cultural event of the town, it is supported by the local community, including the Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki Executive Committee, the Iwa Dosojin Preservation Association, neighborhood associations, the fire brigade, and children's clubs.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the large yagura, nearly 10 meters tall, with daruma dolls tied to it.
As drums played by the Iwa Preservation Association ring out, children set fire to New Year decorations collected from local households, sending flames high into the air.
After the flames die down, dumplings skewered on a three-pronged wooden fork are roasted to pray for a year free of illness and misfortune.
Drums and wishes entrusted to the flames of a grand yagura: the Little New Year festival in Iwa, Manazuru
What to expect
In preparation for the event, bamboo is cut and the yagura is assembled, with a large yagura set up at Iwa Beach.
On the day, children set fire to New Year decorations collected from local households as drums played by the Iwa Hayashi Preservation Association ring out.
Once the flames have died down, dumplings are roasted to pray for a year free of illness and misfortune.
The event is carried out with the community working together, from preparations and lighting the fire to roasting dumplings.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Iwa Beach
Event venue 神奈川県真鶴町 岩海岸
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
- Season
January (Little New 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 / Manazuru Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
お林展望公園
神奈川県真鶴町の公園
Kifune Shrine
神奈川県真鶴町に所在する神社
Origins and History of Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki
The Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki was considered and approved for designation as an important traditional cultural event of the town in the Manazuru Town Board of Education's fiscal 2020 inspection and evaluation report.
A 2018 local article reported that the event was once prepared in rotation by three children's clubs, and that a preservation association was formed at the request of pupils at Iwa Elementary School when the event's continuation was in doubt due to concerns such as falling ash.
Even amid a declining birthrate and an aging population, the preservation association, neighborhood associations, and volunteers continue to support the event.
Official information
The event is organized by the Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki Executive Committee and the Iwa Dosojin Preservation Association.
The Manazuru Town Neighborhood Association Federation, the Manazuru Town Fire Brigade, and the Iwakko Children's Club are helping out.
Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki at a Glance
The Iwa Beach Dondo-yaki is an event held at Little New Year to drive away misfortune for the year and pray for the safety and prosperity of households and the community, and for a year free of illness and misfortune.
Local people prepare by cutting bamboo and assembling the yagura, then burn New Year decorations to the sound of drums.
The event unfolds through the construction of a large yagura nearly 10 meters tall, the children's lighting of the fire, and the roasting of dumplings after the flames die down.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
