A Little New Year festival in Kofu Castle Town, brought to life by painted ukiyo-e curtains
Kofu Dosojin Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- January 13–15 (records from the Edo period) / Every year (historically)
- Area
- Yamanashi Prefecture・Kofu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · limited express)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
- 2026/10/19
The Kofu Dosojin Festival is a historic Dosojin event that brought the Little New Year to life in Kofu Castle Town. Each neighborhood presented distinctive painted curtains, figures, , and other attractions. In the late Edo period, the festival grew into a splendid urban celebration involving artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige.
About Kofu Dosojin Festival
The Kofu Dosojin Festival was a Dosojin festival held in Kofu Castle Town during the Little New Year.
Rooted in folk beliefs seeking a bountiful harvest, it developed in the late Edo period into a distinctive urban festival in Kofu, with the town’s main streets adorned with large painted curtains depicting ukiyo-e and other subjects.
Each neighborhood put on its own distinctive decorations and performances. The festival was connected not only to religious faith but also to townspeople’s culture and community entertainment.
Source: 甲府道祖神祭礼 - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
The main highlight was the distinctive scene created by decorating neighborhood eaves and main streets with immense painted curtains.
Each neighborhood chose subjects such as famous scenic spots and warrior prints, commissioning artists including Utagawa Hiroshige to create the works and competing in ingenuity and extravagance.
Surviving curtains include “Meguro Fudo Waterfall,” depicting a waterfall and temple gate, and “Shiosaki Clam Digging at Low Tide,” a coastal scene with people and boats. They convey the festival’s splendor and the cultural exchange among Kofu’s townspeople.
Source: 山梨県／山梨の文化財ガイド（データベース）絵画
A Little New Year festival in Kofu Castle Town, brought to life by painted ukiyo-e curtains
What to expect
In the historical festival, small shrines and decorations were set up at street corners, lion heads were brought out and drums were played, and performances resembling and kabuki were presented.
During the Dosojin Festival, each neighborhood also decorated -like structures called “Oyama” and various figures, and lion dances were sometimes performed beneath the eaves of homes.
Records say that on the festival day, spectators gathered in the streets of the castle town, where plays and teahouses were also held.
Location and access
- Address
Kofu City
Host municipality Kofu City, Yamanashi Prefecture
This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.
Dates and season
- Season
January 13–15 (records from the Edo period)
- Frequency
Every year (historically)
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 Yamanashi Prefecture / Kofu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
山梨県立文学館
山梨県甲府市の芸術の森公園にある文学館
山梨県立科学館
山梨県甲府市にある県立の科学館
写真：さかおり ( talk ) 03:32, 5 March 2010 (UTC) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
山梨県立美術館
山梨県甲府市の芸術の森公園にある美術館
Origins and History of Kofu Dosojin Festival
The Dosojin Festival in Kofu Castle Town is documented as existing from the 17th century onward, and grew in scale from the mid-Edo period as Kofu merchants prospered.
In Tenpo 12 (1841), Utagawa Hiroshige visited Kofu and created painted curtains. By the end of the Edo period, the festival was known for its lavish decorative curtains displayed by each neighborhood.
However, the festival was discontinued following a ban in Meiji 2 (1869) and the abolition of Dosojin worship in Meiji 5 (1872). Today, its story is passed down through the painted curtains, records, and Dosojin beliefs that remain in the region.
Kofu Dosojin Festival at a Glance
The Kofu Dosojin Festival developed as a Little New Year celebration in Kofu Castle Town. It is a historic festival known for its painted curtains that brightened the streets and its diverse performances.
Some of the painted curtains involving artists such as Utagawa Hiroshige are still preserved as cultural materials that convey Kofu’s wealth and townspeople’s culture in the late Edo period.
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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