Nishiyokoyama’s Little New Year Festival: Tori-Oi songs and torchlit Omara
Nishiyokoyama Little New Year Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- From January 11 through the 18th
- Location
- Nishiyokoyama settlement
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Joetsu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 40 min–2 h 10 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.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
A Little New Year event passed down in the Nishiyokoyama settlement of Joetsu City, carrying on prayers for good harvests and the community’s hopes. Events with different roles, such as the children’s Tori-Oi and the adults’ Omara, continue through the middle of January.
About Nishiyokoyama Little New Year Festival
The Nishiyokoyama Little New Year Festival is a Little New Year event passed down in the Nishiyokoyama settlement of Joetsu City and is designated a city cultural property.
A series of events is held across the settlement from January 11 through the 18th.
As many of its words and expressions relate to rice cultivation, it is thought to derive from agricultural rites.
Through Tori-Oi, Yome-Iwai, and Omara for Sai no Kami, among other events, it carries the community’s way of life and prayers into the present.
Festival highlights
Highlights include Tori-Oi, when children drive away birds with and bird-chasing songs, and Omara, when adults raise their voices while holding torches.
During Tori-Oi, participants head from Hakusan toward a bridge and make taiko drums and loud calls ring out from its center.
During Omara, they strike one another on the head with torches made from hemp stalks, praying for safety in the home, prosperity for descendants, and abundant harvests.
In 2026, reports also showed a bride surrounded by people during Yome-Iwai as they sang and struck swords made of Japanese wax tree wood together.
Nishiyokoyama’s Little New Year Festival: Tori-Oi songs and torchlit Omara
What to expect
The event begins on the morning of January 11 with Wakagi Mukae, followed by Tori-Oi on the night of the 14th and Yome-Iwai during the day on the 15th, among other events. It reaches its climax with Omara for Sai no Kami on the night of the 15th.
During Tori-Oi, children chant bird-chasing songs to the beat of taiko, drive the birds away at a bridge, and make repeated trips between the bridge and the jinja until late at night.
During Omara, adult men carry torches and strike one another on the head while shouting “Omara.”
According to the 2026 information, Tori-Oi, , Yome-Iwai, gathering dried grass for burning, and Omara were held from the night of the 14th through the 15th.
How to take part
This event is organized by the settlement and local groups.
When observing or participating, follow the instructions of local residents and organizers.
As this event is passed down through the daily life of the community, visitors are expected to be considerate of those around them and observe proper etiquette.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Nishiyokoyama settlement / Nishiyokoyama, Oaza, Joetsu City
Address Nishiyokoyama, Oaza, Joetsu City
Dates and season
- Season
From January 11 through the 18th
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Tips for your visit
As this event is organized by the settlement and local groups, follow the instructions of local residents and organizers when observing or participating.
Visitors are asked to behave considerately and follow proper etiquette so as not to disrupt the events or the daily lives of local residents.
The venue is in the Nishiyokoyama settlement.
Nearby attractions
上越市立水族博物館
新潟県上越市にある水族館
Origins and History of Nishiyokoyama Little New Year Festival
The event’s origins are unclear, but it is thought to derive from agricultural rites, as many of its words and expressions relate to rice cultivation.
In 2023, materials from a local council meeting quoted the preservation society as saying that the Nishiyokoyama Little New Year Festival had continued for “about 450 years, though the exact duration is uncertain.”
Challenges cited include population decline and rising material costs. Views were also expressed in support of recording the lyrics of Tori-Oi songs from each settlement and working with local elementary and junior high schools to pass on the tradition.
Official information
The Joetsu City cultural properties page provides information on the designation, its status as a city-designated cultural property, location, and event details.
For inquiries, contact the History and Culture Section of the Joetsu City Cultural Administration Division.
Nishiyokoyama Little New Year Festival at a Glance
The Nishiyokoyama Little New Year Festival is a Little New Year event designated a city cultural property, held in the Nishiyokoyama settlement of Joetsu City from January 11 through the 18th.
During Tori-Oi, children drive away birds with taiko drums and songs. Yome-Iwai includes prayers for children, while during Omara, adults ward off misfortune with torches and pray for safety in the home and abundant harvests.
Although its origins are unclear, it is thought to derive from agricultural rites, and efforts to pass it on continue in the community.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
