Minamisatsuma Jugoya Events

The Minamisatsuma Jugoya events are traditional observances in which people worship the moon on day 15 of lunar month 8 and community members make a large rope, hold tug-of-war, and dance.

About Minamisatsuma Jugoya Events

The Minamisatsuma Jugoya events are folk observances in which people worship the full moon of lunar calendar: August on the 15th night, in the southern part of the Satsuma Peninsula.

They have been passed down in communities including Makurazaki, Bonotsu in Minamisatsuma, and Chiran in Minamikyushu, where the whole community takes part in tug-of-war and dancing.

Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan, the events continue as annual observances closely tied to local life.

Source: 国指定文化財等データベース / 鹿児島県／伝統行事・民俗芸能

Festival highlights

Highlights include the large rope made through the community’s joint efforts and the tug-of-war led by the children’s group.

The rope is made from thatch and can be more than 100 meters long.

At Sorayoi in Chiran, children wearing straw hats and straw skirts sing and dance, performing distinctive movements around a warakozumi.

Beneath the moonlight, a large rope and straw dances carry on the Jugoya traditions of Minamisatsuma

What to expect

In preparation for the event, the children’s group gathers thatch from the mountains, and people from the community twist it into a large rope.

At night, the children’s group pulls the rope, and activities such as the 15th-night dance and sumo wrestling take place.

At Sorayoi in Nakafukura, Chiran, accounts also describe raising a large straw umbrella, dancing around it, and finally pulling it down.

Location and access

Venue and address: Held in the Nakafukura area of Chiran, Minamikyushu.
By car: About 10 minutes by car from Chiran Town Hall.
Parking: Parking is available in each district.

Source: 祭・イベント詳細：南薩摩の十五夜行事「ソラヨイ」｜（一財）都市農山漁村交流活性化機構（まちむら交流きこう）

Event venue 鹿児島県枕崎市、南さつま市、南九州市知覧町中福良地区

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

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Dates and season

It is usually held on day 15 of lunar month 8.

2026年についても旧暦の日付を基準とする行事です。

The event takes place on the night of the full moon.

Origins and History of Minamisatsuma Jugoya Events

The Minamisatsuma Jugoya events have been passed down as local observances to worship the full moon of lunar calendar: August on the 15th night.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ records highlight how distinctive events such as tug-of-war are held across communities in the southern Satsuma Peninsula, centered on groups of boys.

Designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1981, the events are still supported by preservation associations and others who help pass them on.

Source: 鹿児島県／泊十五夜踊

Official information

The Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties introduces the Minamisatsuma Jugoya events as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

Kagoshima Prefecture also lists the events in Makurazaki, Bonotsu in Minamisatsuma, and Chiran in Minamikyushu as nationally designated cultural properties.

For Sorayoi in the Nakafukura area of Chiran, festival and event guides provide information on when it is held, transportation, and parking.