Prayers and conversation around a hanging scroll: the night of Kōshin passed down in Ryūō-Shinmachi
Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Location
- Ryūō-Shinmachi district
- Area
- Yamanashi Prefecture・Kai City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · limited express)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
- 2026/11/12
Kōshin-machi, passed down in the Ryūō-Shinmachi district of Kai City, is a gathering held on the night of Kōshin. People pray before a hanging scroll, then share a meal and conversation. It is a local intangible folk cultural property that has continued since around the mid-Edo period.
About Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi
Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi is a gathering held on the night of Kōshin. People meet at the home taking its turn and pray while reciting mantras before a hanging scroll of Kōshin-sama.
The custom of sharing a meal and conversation together afterward, then dispersing, has continued to this day.
This tradition is passed down in the Ryūō-Shinmachi district of Kai City and was designated an intangible folk cultural property of Kai City in Showa 58May 6.
Festival highlights
Highlights include the hanging scroll of Kōshin-sama displayed in the home taking its turn, and the group recitation of mantras before it.
The practice of Kōshin-machi—keeping a night vigil and observing the night of Kōshin in restraint—is reflected in the prayers.
Another distinctive feature is that everyone shares a meal and conversation after praying. The saying “Good stories are told on the night of Kōshin” has been passed down.
Prayers and conversation around a hanging scroll: the night of Kōshin passed down in Ryūō-Shinmachi
What to expect
On the night of Kōshin, the household taking its turn displays a hanging scroll of Kōshin-sama, and people pray before it while reciting mantras.
Kōshin-machi reflects the belief that three worms, called sanshi, leave the body to report a person’s sins to the Celestial Emperor, so people stay awake and spend the night observing restraint.
After the prayers, everyone shares a meal and conversation, then disperses.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Ryūō-Shinmachi district, Kai City
Address Ryūō-Shinmachi district, Kai City
Origins and History of Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi
The beginnings of Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi are unclear, but it is said to have continued since around the mid-Edo period.
Kōshin-machi was practiced throughout Japan. In Ryūō-Shinmachi, the tradition of praying before a displayed hanging scroll, then sharing a meal and conversation, has been passed down.
The scroll box bears the date Tenpō 6 (1835), and the back of the image of the principal deity, Shōmen Kongō, bears the date Kōka 3 (1846).
Official information
Kai City Official Website (Lifelong Learning and Culture Division), “Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi, with One Hanging Scroll of a Silk-Kept, Colored Image of Shōmen Kongō”
Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi at a Glance
Kōshin-machi in Ryūō-Shinmachi is a gathering held on the night of Kōshin. People recite mantras before a hanging scroll, then share a meal and conversation after praying.
Although its beginnings are unclear, it has continued since around the mid-Edo period; related scroll boxes and images bear dates of 1835 and 1846.
The tradition is passed down in the Ryūō-Shinmachi district of Kai City and became a municipal intangible folk cultural property in Showa 58.
Sources and references
Accommodation and hotels PR
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Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/11/12
