A New Year’s Eve ritual on Koshikijima, where a masked visiting deity urges children to make a promise
Koshikijima no Toshidon
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on December 31 (New Year’s Eve) / Every year
- Location
- Teuchi, Katanoura, Aose, and Sesenoura, Shimokoshiki-cho, Satsumasendai City
- Area
- Kagoshima Prefecture・Satsumasendai City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 20 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
On New Year’s Eve, Toshidon, dressed in a mask and mino, visits homes with children and encourages them to make New Year’s resolutions through conversation. This is a visiting-deity ritual on Koshikijima.
About Koshikijima no Toshidon
Koshikijima no Toshidon is a visiting-deity ritual held on New Year’s Eve on Shimokoshiki Island in Satsumasendai City.
Toshidon wears a mask and mino and visits homes with young children.
They praise the child’s good qualities, point out their faults and shortcomings, and have them promise to behave better before giving them a New Year’s rice cake.
It is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property and was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the conversation between Toshidon, with his strange appearance, and the children.
Its striking appearance includes a nose as long as 30 centimeters, a mouth split to the ears, a large red or blue face, and a mino covering the whole body.
Toshidon praises the children’s good qualities while pointing out their shortcomings and having them promise not to repeat them.
The ritual ends with Toshidon giving a New Year’s rice cake and leaving, expressing both admonition and blessing.
A New Year’s Eve ritual on Koshikijima, where a masked visiting deity urges children to make a promise
What to expect
On New Year’s Eve, Toshidon descends from high mountains, large rocks, tall trees, and other places, and visits homes with children.
When a child who has been called to opens the shoji screen, Toshidon appears in a mask and mino.
They talk with the children, praising their good qualities and asking about things they should improve, then have them promise to behave better.
Afterward, he gives them a New Year’s rice cake as a reward for their promise and leaves the house.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Teuchi, Katanoura, Aose, and Sesenoura, Shimokoshiki-cho, Satsumasendai City / within Shimokoshiki-cho, Satsumasendai City
- Train and bus
Board the high-speed ferry “Koshikijima” at Sendai Port Terminal and get off at Nagahama Port / Take the “Yui Line Koshiki” from Kushikino New Port and get off at Nagahama Port
- By car
About 25 minutes by car from Nagahama Port
Address Teuchi, Katanoura, Aose, and Sesenoura, Shimokoshiki-cho, Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on December 31 (New Year’s Eve)
- 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 Kagoshima Prefecture / Satsumasendai City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
新田神社
鹿児島県薩摩川内市にある神社
写真：ja:User:MK Products upload by Sakoppi / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
薩摩川内市せんだい宇宙館
鹿児島県薩摩川内市にある科学展示館、天文台
Origins and History of Koshikijima no Toshidon
It is unclear when Koshikijima no Toshidon began.
It was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1977, and inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list on September 30, 2009.
さらに2018年11月29日、「来訪神：仮面・仮装の神々」の一つとして、関連する9行事とともにユネスコ無形文化遺産へ拡張登録されました。
Official information
Kagoshima Prefecture: “Koshikijima no Toshidon”
Koshikijima no Toshidon at a Glance
Koshikijima no Toshidon is a visiting-deity ritual held on New Year’s Eve in the villages of Shimokoshiki Island, Satsumasendai City.
Toshidon, wearing a mask and a mino straw raincoat, visits homes with children, praising their good qualities and admonishing them about their shortcomings as he encourages them to make New Year’s resolutions.
After the children make their promises, they are given a New Year’s rice cake.
It is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is also inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
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
