Muramachi’s Koshogatsu: Children’s songs and prayers entrusted to a great fire
Muramachi no Sainokami
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Second Sunday of January (if January 15 falls on a Sunday, it is held on the 15th) / Once a year
- Location
- Ueno and Muramachi districts, Nyuzen Town
- Area
- Toyama Prefecture・Nyuzen Town(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 min · bullet 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
A Koshogatsu fire festival passed down in the Ueno and Muramachi districts of Nyuzen Town, centered on children. A pair of wooden male and female figures and New Year decorations are burned to pray for protection from misfortune, good health, and abundant harvests.
About Muramachi no Sainokami
Muramachi no Sainokami is a Koshogatsu fire festival passed down in the Muramachi district of Ueno, Nyuzen Town.
Children carry a pair of wooden male and female figures called “Dekusama” from home to home, collecting New Year decorations, rice, and other items.
The collected items are placed inside a bamboo-and-straw structure and burned to pray for protection from misfortune, good health, and abundant harvests.
It is designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Festival highlights
Highlights include children going from house to house, singing the Sainokami song at each entrance, and the great fire held at the edge of the district.
The oldest child carries a pair of wooden male and female figures, while the other children collect New Year decorations, rice, soybeans, and azuki beans.
The figures are placed inside a structure built from bamboo and straw and set alight, with the sound of bamboo joints bursting ringing out.
Another distinctive feature is the process of finding the figures that remain after the fire and burning them until they turn completely to ash.
Muramachi’s Koshogatsu: Children’s songs and prayers entrusted to a great fire
What to expect
The event begins early in the morning, when children visit homes in the Muramachi district to collect New Year decorations and receive sweets, rice, and other items.
While they make their rounds, a conical structure made of bamboo and straw is assembled at the edge of the district.
Once the children have finished their rounds, Dekusama and the New Year decorations are placed inside and the structure is set alight.
After the flames die down, the figures that remain are found and burned until they turn completely to ash.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Ueno and Muramachi districts, Nyuzen Town
- By car
5 minutes by car from Nyuzen Station on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway
Address Muramachi district, Ueno, Nyuzen Town, Shimoniikawa District, Toyama Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Second Sunday of January (if January 15 falls on a Sunday, it is held on the 15th)
- Frequency
Once a 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 Toyama Prefecture / Nyuzen Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
下山芸術の森発電所美術館
富山県下新川郡入善町にある公立美術館
写真：photo: Qurren ( talk ) Taken with Canon IXY 10S / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·Origins and History of Muramachi no Sainokami
Muramachi no Sainokami was once held on January 15, which falls during Koshogatsu, but is now held on the second Sunday of January.
However, if January 15 falls on a Sunday, it is held on January 15.
In Heisei 22, on January 15, it received a recommendation for designation as a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
This event has been passed down by children with the cooperation of local residents.
Official information
問い合わせ先：入善町教育委員会事務局 文化係
電話：0765-72-1100（内線355）
ファックス：0765-74-2790
Muramachi no Sainokami at a Glance
Muramachi no Sainokami is a Koshogatsu fire festival passed down in the Ueno and Muramachi districts of Nyuzen Town.
Children carry Dekusama from house to house, singing songs as they collect New Year decorations, rice, and other items.
The figures and New Year decorations are then placed inside a bamboo-and-straw structure and burned to pray for protection from misfortune, good health, and abundant harvests.
It has been passed down with the cooperation of the local community and is designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/11
