A springtime tradition in Ojiya, featuring ukiyo-e e-gami and hina dolls
The custom of displaying e-gami prints for the Ojiya Doll Festival
The 2026 edition of The custom of displaying e-gami prints for the Ojiya Doll Festival has ended.
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/03/28 〜 2026/04/05Ended
- Season / frequency
- Around the time of the Doll Festival
- Location
- Shopping streets in Ojiya City (Sunplaza is included as an example for visitor information)
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Ojiya 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
- Participation fee
- Free
- Last updated
- 2026/10/24
In Ojiya, the custom of displaying hina dolls together with multicolored ukiyo-e prints called “e-gami” has been passed down. Against the backdrop of trade from the Edo period through the Meiji period, this Doll Festival conveys the history of local life and exchange.
About The custom of displaying e-gami prints for the Ojiya Doll Festival
In the Ojiya Doll Festival, the custom of displaying e-gami alongside hina dolls has been passed down in areas centered around the former town of Ojiya.
E-gami is a local Ojiya term for multicolored ukiyo-e prints, also known as nishiki-e.
Today, events recreating this custom display e-gami and hina dolls in the shopping streets and sell related products.
In June 2019, “The custom of displaying e-gami prints for the Ojiya Doll Festival” was designated a folk cultural property of Ojiya City.
Source: 小千谷の雛祭りにおける絵紙飾りの習俗 文化遺産オンライン / 絵紙と小千谷のひいな祭り｜新潟のイベント｜【公式】新潟県のおすすめ観光・旅行情報！にいがた観光ナビ
Festival highlights
The highlight is the colorful e-gami displayed across entire rooms.
Many e-gami are wall-hanging displays made by joining 4–5 rows of large-format triptychs of ukiyo-e prints vertically. Around 6,000 have been identified in the city.
The pairing of hina dolls with ukiyo-e prints is a distinctive Ojiya custom that is rare nationwide.
Along with displays of e-gami and hina dolls, the shopping streets also feature related products such as sweets and clothing.
A springtime tradition in Ojiya, featuring ukiyo-e e-gami and hina dolls
What to expect
The event displays hina dolls and e-gami, recreating scenes of the Ojiya Doll Festival adorned with e-gami.
The shopping streets are one of the event venues, where you can see related products such as sweets and clothing as well as e-gami and hina dolls.
E-gami are multicolored ukiyo-e prints, often displayed as wall hangings made by joining several prints together.
The recommended visit time is about 2 hours.
How to take part
No advance reservation is required in 2026.
Displays of e-gami and hina dolls, along with sales of related products, are held in the shopping streets.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Shopping streets in Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture (Sunplaza is included as an example for visitor information)
- Train and bus
From the “Ojiya Shako-mae” bus stop near Ojiya Station on the JR Joetsu Line, take a bus such as the “Ojiya–Kawanishi–Tokamachi Line” or the “Tokamachi–Ojiya–Nagaoka Station Line” for about 10 minutes. Get off at “Honcho Chuo” and walk 5 minutes. / From the “Ojiya-eki Kado” bus stop near Ojiya Station on the JR Joetsu Line, take the “Circular Route, Inner Loop” for about 10 minutes and get off at “Sunplaza-mae.”
- By car
About 5 minutes from Ojiya IC on the Kan-Etsu Expressway
- Parking
Parking for regular passenger cars is available (Ojiya City General Industrial Hall Sunplaza and the parking lot in front of Ojiya Elementary School).
Address Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture
Dates and season
2026 event information (the listed dates have passed)
March 28, 2026 (Sat)–April 5 (Sun)
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 Niigata Prefecture / Ojiya City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Origins and History of The custom of displaying e-gami prints for the Ojiya Doll Festival
This custom is associated with the arrival of e-gami—that is, ukiyo-e prints—in Ojiya through trade centered on Ojiya-chijimi from the Edo period through the Meiji period.
It is said that as Ojiya-chijimi merchants traveled between regions, they brought cultures and goods from other places back to Ojiya.
E-gami were displayed alongside hina dolls and other items, and people have enjoyed them as an event heralding spring in snowy Ojiya.
In June 2019, the custom was designated a folk cultural property of Ojiya City.
Official information
For an overview of the cultural property, see Cultural Heritage Online. For event information, see “E-gami and Ojiya’s Hina Festival” by the Niigata Prefectural Tourism Association.
The custom of displaying e-gami prints for the Ojiya Doll Festival at a Glance
The Ojiya Doll Festival is a local custom in which hina dolls are displayed together with e-gami, multicolored ukiyo-e prints.
Wall-hanging displays of large ukiyo-e prints joined vertically bring color to entire rooms.
The custom has been passed down against the backdrop of trade in Ojiya-chijimi from the Edo period through the Meiji period, and was designated a folk cultural property of Ojiya City in 2019.
The 2026 event was held in Ojiya City from March 28 to April 5.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/24
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