A great tug-of-war between Ebisu and Daikoku to divine the year’s fishing and harvest prospects
Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Event status
- Cancelled
- Season / frequency
- Jan / Every year
- Location
- Around Aioicho and Nishimachi-dori, Tsuruga City
- Area
- Fukui Prefecture・Tsuruga 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.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
The Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War is a Little New Year event in Tsuruga in which the Ebisu and Daikoku sides pull a huge rope decorated with fish and rice bales to divine the year’s fishing and harvest prospects. The event also includes a procession through the neighborhood and the toppling of the Sagicho bonfire. It is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and is said to have been passed down for approximately 400 years.
About Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War
The Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War is a Little New Year tug-of-war event passed down in Nishimachi, Tsuruga.
People divide into the Ebisu side in the east and the Daikoku side in the west, pull a single rope, and divine the year’s fishing and harvest prospects.
Decorations shaped like fish and rice bales are also attached to the rope. The event has been passed down as a local tradition reflecting the livelihoods of the port town and farming communities.
It was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1986.
Source: 文化財詳細 | 福井県文化財ページ / 国指定文化財等データベース
Festival highlights
A highlight is the huge rope, made approximately 50 meters long and about 25 centimeters in diameter at its center.
Fish such as sea bream, octopus, and shrimp are hung on the east side of the rope, while decorations such as a magic mallet and rice bales are hung on the west side.
After a procession of people portraying Ebisu and Daikoku makes its way through the neighborhood, the rope is lowered onto the road and people divided into east and west sides begin pulling it.
The outcome is considered an omen of good fishing or a good harvest.
A great tug-of-war between Ebisu and Daikoku to divine the year’s fishing and harvest prospects
What to expect
The pulling rope is made from rice straw and other materials on the day before the event.
On the day, following the ritual, men born in the Year of the Zodiac portraying Ebisu and Daikoku tour the neighborhood with members of the preservation society. The Sagicho bonfire is toppled in front of the house assigned to host the event.
Afterward, the rope, which had been suspended at eaves height, is lowered onto the road, and the east-side Ebisu group and west-side Daikoku group pull against each other just once.
The winning side is said to predict the year’s fishing and harvest prospects.
How to take part
Traditionally, spectators watch the procession as it makes its way through the neighborhood, then join whichever side they choose to pull the rope.
The local division, with people connected to fishing on the Ebisu side and those connected to farming on the Daikoku side, is a distinctive feature of the event.
However, the event was announced as canceled in 2026 due to a shortage of people to carry it on and other reasons.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Aioicho, Tsuruga City.
The event takes place around Nishimachi-dori.
- Train and bus
From JR Tsuruga Station, take the community bus on the “Matsubara Line” for approximately 7–13 minutes to the “ 2-chome” stop, then walk approximately 5 minutes.
Take the “Gurutto Tsuruga Excursion Bus” from JR Tsuruga Station for approximately 5 minutes to the “Museum Street” stop.
A taxi takes approximately 12 minutes from JR Tsuruga Station.
- By car
Approximately 10 minutes from the Tsuruga IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.
Address Aioicho, Tsuruga City
Dates and season
The Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War is held every January, and tourism information lists it as scheduled for the 3rd Sunday of January each year.
However, the period when the cultural property is open to the public is listed as January 15.
The event was canceled in 2026 due to a shortage of people to carry it on and other reasons.
Source: 伝統行事が存続の危機 「敦賀西町の綱引き」は開催中止 担い手や資金不足…継承の難しさが“浮き彫り”に｜ニュース｜福井テレビ
Accommodation and hotels PR
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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 / Tsuruga City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The tug-of-war takes place on the road, with a large crowd pulling a huge rope approximately 50 meters long.
When watching, do not get too close to the moving rope or the participants’ gathering points, and follow the directions of event staff and the preservation society.
As the event was canceled in 2026, you cannot see the regular event at the venue.
If you plan to visit in the future, check in advance whether the event is being held and review the transportation information.
Nearby attractions
みなとつるが山車会館
福井県敦賀市にある博物館
人道の港敦賀ムゼウム
福井県敦賀市にある資料館
敦賀市立博物館
福井県敦賀市にある博物館
旧敦賀港駅舎
福井県敦賀市にある建築物
氣比神宮
福井県敦賀市にある神社
紙わらべ資料館
福井県敦賀市にある、高木栄子の和紙人形を展示する美術館
金ヶ崎緑地
福井県敦賀市にある海浜公園
Kanegasaki Shrine
福井県敦賀市にある神社
Origins and History of Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War
The Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War is mentioned in Tsurugashi, a work by Sukemoto Ishizuka depicting Tsuruga during the Edo period. It has been passed down in Nishimachi, which prospered through its fish market and trade in grains.
Inscriptions on masks and other items suggest that the event has been held for approximately 400 years.
It is said that fishermen and seafood merchants once made up the Ebisu side, while farmers and agricultural-product merchants made up the Daikoku side.
It was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1986.
Official information
You can check dates, the venue, and transportation information in the “Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War” guide on the official Tsuruga tourism website.
As the event was announced as canceled in 2026, check the latest information for updates on when it will next be held.
Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War at a Glance
The Tsuruga Nishimachi Tug-of-War is a Little New Year folk event in which the Ebisu and Daikoku sides pull a huge rope approximately 50 meters long to divine the year’s fishing and harvest prospects.
Distinctive features include decorations of fish and rice bales, a procession through the neighborhood by people wearing masks and costumes, and the toppling of the Sagicho bonfire.
It is said to have been passed down for approximately 400 years and is designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
The event was canceled in 2026.
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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