A night when masked visiting deities ask for promises at homes in Shirahama
Shirahama Amamen
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on February 3 / Every year
- Location
- Homes in Shirahama
- Area
- Fukui Prefecture・Fukui City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 50 min–3 h 20 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
- Highlights and activities
- Age restrictions
- Visits homes with children who have not yet started elementary school
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
An event passed down in Shirahama, Fukui City, in which masked visiting deities go from home to home. Every year on February 3, local people wearing straw capes encourage children to make promises.
About Shirahama Amamen
Shirahama Amamen is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property passed down in Shirahama, Fukui City.
Local people wear demon-like masks and straw capes and visit homes with children.
The event has been passed down as a tradition in which children are asked, through exchanges with the visitors, to promise to behave well.
It is held every year on February 3.
Source: 白浜町のアマメン 文化遺産オンライン / 県指定文化財一覧
Festival highlights
A highlight is seeing the visitors, wearing demon-like masks and straw capes, go from home to home at dusk.
They approach the children, calling out, “Are there any naughty children?” and leave after hearing them promise to mend their ways.
The tense exchange between the masked visiting deities and the children is a distinctive moment of this event.
A night when masked visiting deities ask for promises at homes in Shirahama
What to expect
During the event, people from the neighborhood wear masks and straw capes and visit homes with preschool-age children.
At each home, they frighten the children and urge them to promise not to do bad things.
Once the children have made their promises, the visitors leave the house.
This is a visiting-deity ritual in which visitors go from house to house.
How to take part
The event is carried out by local people in Shirahama, and no arrangement has been announced for general visitors to take on the role of the visiting deities.
The homes visited are those with children who have not yet started elementary school.
As this event involves visiting local households, consideration for the host families is essential.
Location and access
- Venue and address
The event involves visiting homes in Shirahama, Fukui City.
Address Shirahama, Fukui City
Dates and season
It is held annually on February 3.
It is said to be an event in which visitors go from house to house around nightfall.
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 Fukui Prefecture / Fukui City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
As this event involves visiting people’s homes, visitors should take care not to disrupt residents’ lives or the households they visit.
Since the masked visitors speak to children, do not photograph children or household activities without permission.
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おさごえ民家園
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写真：藤谷良秀 (Yoshihide Fujitani) / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source ·
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Origins and History of Shirahama Amamen
Shirahama Amamen is a visiting-deity event passed down in Shirahama, Fukui City.
It is now held every year on February 3 and is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Fukui Prefecture.
Local people wearing demon-like masks and straw capes visit homes and encourage children to make promises.
No detailed account of its origins or when it began has been confirmed.
Source: 福井の伝統芸能
Official information
Fukui City’s list of prefecture-designated cultural properties includes Shirahama Amamen as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Shirahama, Fukui City.
The Cultural Heritage Online also describes the event and its annual date.
It is listed in Fukui Prefecture’s cultural property search as Fukui Prefecture Designation No. 444.
Source: 検索結果一覧 | 福井県文化財ページ
Shirahama Amamen at a Glance
Shirahama Amamen is a visiting-deity event held every year on February 3 in Shirahama, Fukui City.
Local people wearing masks and straw capes visit homes at dusk and make the children promise not to do bad things.
It is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by Fukui Prefecture and a traditional event closely connected with local households.
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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