A traditional event in Ōkurita where people visit homes in masks during Little New Year
Ōkurita no Amamehagi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Little New Year
- Area
- Niigata Prefecture・Murakami 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.
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
Ōkurita no Amamehagi is a Little New Year’s event handed down in Ōkurita, Murakami City. The 1993 footage preserves scenes of children wearing masks and costumes as they visit households.
About Ōkurita no Amamehagi
Ōkurita no Amamehagi is a Little New Year’s event handed down in Ōkurita, Murakami City.
Niigata Prefecture’s cultural property materials list it as an intangible folk cultural property of the city.
The 1993 footage records children preparing and putting on costumes for a local traditional event, then visiting households.
Festival highlights
Its distinctive features include a variety of masks, such as shishigashira, tengu and fox masks, and garments such as hiyori mino and hanhagi.
In the 1993 record, children wearing these items went from house to house, visiting their own family homes in the village.
It is also noted as an event that has attracted attention for its similarity to Namahage on the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture.
A traditional event in Ōkurita where people visit homes in masks during Little New Year
What to expect
In the record from January 20, 1993, 5 pupils from Murakami Municipal Ōkurita Elementary School took the lead in preparing for the day and putting on the costumes.
Afterward, the children, wearing masks and costumes, visited their own family homes one by one throughout the village.
The material also explains other Little New Year’s events that remain in Ōkurita, such as Sainokami and Tori-oi.
Location and access
- Address
Murakami City
Host municipality 新潟県村上市
This map shows the surrounding area, not the exact venue location.
Dates and season
- Season
Little New 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 Niigata Prefecture / Murakami City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
イヨボヤ会館
新潟県村上市の博物館
Origins and History of Ōkurita no Amamehagi
Ōkurita no Amamehagi is documented as a Little New Year’s event handed down in Ōkurita, Murakami City.
It is listed as an intangible folk cultural property of the city in Niigata Prefecture’s Murakami City Cultural Property Preservation and Utilization Regional Plan.
The event in January 20, 1993 was recorded as audiovisual teaching material by the Prefectural Lifelong Learning Promotion Center, showing preparations, dressing in costumes, and visits to households.
Ōkurita no Amamehagi at a Glance
Ōkurita no Amamehagi is a Little New Year’s event handed down in Ōkurita, Murakami City.
The footage records children wearing shishigashira, tengu and fox masks, along with hiyori mino and other garments, as they visit households.
It is listed in local materials as an intangible folk cultural property of the city, documenting the event as it has been passed down 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
