A folk purification event passed down in Sakatsu, entrusting prayers to the sea and fire
Sakatsu Tondō
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Mid-January each year / Every year
- Location
- Sakatsu Fishing Port
- Area
- Tottori Prefecture・Tottori City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 15 min–1 h 30 min · flight time only)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
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
This folk event, passed down in Sakatsu, Ketaka-chō, Tottori City, for generations, is held to pray for a year free of illness and misfortune and for a good catch. Its distinctive features are purification with seawater, visiting homes throughout the village, and lighting a fire the next morning.
About Sakatsu Tondō
The Sakatsu Tondō is a folk event passed down for generations in the small port town of Sakatsu, Ketaka-chō, Tottori City.
A conical structure for burning, over 4 m tall, is built from pine and bamboo, then decorated with and other items.
Around the end of the New Year period, men, naked after purifying themselves with seawater, purify the village, and the next morning the Tondō is burned to send off the Toshigami.
It was designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2007.
Festival highlights
A highlight is the Tondō, built from pine and bamboo and standing over 4 m tall.
The conical structure for burning is decorated with shimenawa and other items, giving it a form that symbolizes the New Year event.
Men, naked after purifying themselves with seawater, swing seaweed around as they purify the Tondō and homes throughout the village.
The scene of the Tondō being burned the next morning to send off the Toshigami is also a distinctive feature of this event.
A folk purification event passed down in Sakatsu, entrusting prayers to the sea and fire
What to expect
During the event, men purify themselves with seawater and then, naked, swing seaweed around as they go from home to home, purifying the Tondō and the village.
After the purification, the Tondō is burned early the next morning.
Through the fire, the Toshigami is sent off, and prayers are offered for a year free of illness and misfortune and for a good catch.
No information is provided about how general visitors can participate or what activities they can experience.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Sakatsu Fishing Port / Sakatsu, Ketaka-chō, Tottori City, Tottori 689-0217
- Train and bus
From JR Hamamura Station, take the Hinomaru Shikano Line for about 15 minutes to Sakenotsu, then walk about 1 minute / About a 25-minute walk from JR Hōki Station
- By car
From JR Tottori Station, take National Route 9 toward Kurayoshi and Yonago for about 25 minutes
- Parking
None
Address Sakatsu Fishing Port, Sakatsu, Ketaka-chō, Tottori City, Tottori 689-0217
Dates and season
- Season
Mid-January each year
- Frequency
Every 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 Tottori Prefecture / Tottori City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
Nearby are the grave of Ryōgoku Kajinosuke, Kozami Beach, Hakuto Coast and Hakuto Hill, Tatsumidai, and Hakuto Shrine.
Michi-no-Eki Shinwa no Sato Shirausagi, Hōki Onsenkan, and Mikuma Shrine are also listed as tourist information near the Sakatsu Tondō.
Information about the distance from the festival venue, travel time, or opening status of these places cannot be provided beyond what is stated in the source.
かにっこ館
鳥取県鳥取市賀露町にある水族館
わらべ館
鳥取県鳥取市にある童謡・唱歌・おもちゃがテーマの博物館
因幡万葉歴史館
鳥取県鳥取市にある博物館
宇倍神社
鳥取県鳥取市国府町宮下に位置する神社
河原城
鳥取県鳥取市河原町谷一木にあった城、および同地に建てられた模擬天守
流しびなの館
鳥取県鳥取市用瀬町にあるひな人形の展示施設
写真：Original uploader was KASEI (Edited by 663h ) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·
渡辺美術館
鳥取県鳥取市にある博物館
白兎神社
鳥取県鳥取市にある神社
砂の美術館
鳥取県鳥取市にある美術館
鳥取城
鳥取県の城
鳥取市あおや郷土館
鳥取県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
鳥取市歴史博物館
鳥取県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Sakatsu Tondō
The Sakatsu Tondō is a folk event passed down in Sakatsu, Ketaka-chō, Tottori City, for generations.
No information is given about when the event began or how it changed over time.
According to the details currently available, a Tondō is built, men purify themselves with seawater and then purify the village, and the next morning a fire is lit to send off the Toshigami.
It was designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2007.
Official information
“Sakatsu Tondō” information on the official Tottori City tourism website
Sakatsu Tondō at a Glance
The Sakatsu Tondō is a folk event passed down in Sakatsu for generations.
A Tondō over 4 m tall is built, and men, naked after purifying themselves with seawater, swing seaweed around as they purify homes throughout the village.
Early the next morning, the Tondō is burned to send off the Toshigami, and prayers are offered for a year free of illness and misfortune and for a good catch.
The venue is Sakatsu Fishing Port, and the event is held in mid-January each year, according to the information provided.
Sources and references
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
