Songs and beckoning gestures face off in Setta Village’s traditional New Year’s performance
Setta Mankai
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Lunar New Year / Every year, day 1 of lunar month 1
- Location
- Setta Village Community Center, Kasari Town
- Area
- Kagoshima Prefecture・Amami City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 20 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Setta Mankai, passed down in Setta Village, Kasari Town, Amami City, is a traditional Lunar New Year event in which men and women sit facing each other and exchange songs and hand gestures.
About Setta Mankai
Setta Mankai is a traditional Lunar New Year event passed down in Setta Village, Kasari Town, Amami City.
Also known as “Shōgatsu Mankai,” it features men and women sitting opposite each other, exchanging songs while making beckoning-like hand gestures and clapping.
It has been passed down as an indoor winter pastime and is said to have once served as an occasion for young people to enjoy themselves and meet potential partners.
In Heisei 20, it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Kagoshima Prefecture.
Source: 奄美市一集落1ブランド／鹿児島県奄美市 / 国県指定文化財／鹿児島県奄美市
Festival highlights
Highlights include the distinctive way the men and women sit facing each other and the delicate hand movements that accompany their sung exchanges.
They lightly clap both hands or one hand, move their hands high and low in a dance, and tap their chests or knees, while also making beckoning gestures called mankai.
Another distinctive feature is the accompaniment of Amami sanshin and , and the preservation of the song-and-response exchange to this day.
Source: 節田マンカイ | 奄美遺産｜環境文化のカタチ / 鹿児島県／節田マンカイ
Songs and beckoning gestures face off in Setta Village’s traditional New Year’s performance
What to expect
For the event, members of the preservation society gather at the village community center and sit facing one another, with men and women on opposite sides.
To the accompaniment of shamisen and taiko, participants sing August Odori songs together and combine clapping, hand dances, tapping their chests or knees, and beckoning gestures.
In Setta Village, there is also a tradition of a women’s group serving azami-yase dishes after the event, prepared starting the previous day.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Setta Village Community Center, Kasari Town, Amami City
Event venue 鹿児島県奄美市 笠利町節田集落公民館
This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.
Dates and season
The 2026 event was held on day 1 of lunar month 1, and a report dated February 18 described it as an event held the previous evening.
Source: ニュース・スポーツ | ＫＴＳ鹿児島テレビ
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 Kagoshima Prefecture / Amami City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
原野農芸博物館
鹿児島県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
大浜海浜公園
鹿児島県奄美市にある公園
奄美パーク
奄美市にある観光施設
奄美市歴史民俗資料館
鹿児島県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
奄美市立奄美博物館
鹿児島県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
田中一村記念美術館
鹿児島県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
Origins and History of Setta Mankai
Setta Mankai is said to have been passed down in several villages along the east coast of Kasari Town in the past, and is now preserved in Setta Village.
One theory is that in the early Meiji period, a woman from Ōkasari married into Setta Village and taught and popularized this dance.
As a performing art preserving song exchanges reminiscent of the ancient “utagaki,” it was designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Kagoshima Prefecture in Heisei 20 (2008) April 22.
Official information
Contact: Amami City Hall
Setta Mankai at a Glance
Setta Mankai is a traditional event passed down in Setta Village, Kasari Town, Amami City, for the Lunar New Year.
The men and women sit facing each other, exchanging songs to the accompaniment of shamisen and taiko while performing claps, hand dances, and beckoning gestures.
It was once a form of entertainment and courtship for young people, and is now carried on as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by Kagoshima Prefecture.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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