A fearsome visiting deity goes from home to home, sharing Yoshihama’s hopes at Koshogatsu
Yoshihama Suneka
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on the night of January 15 (Koshogatsu) / 1 time per year
- Location
- Yoshihama District Center (departure ceremony) / Yoshihama District, Sanriku Town, Ofunato City
- Area
- Iwate Prefecture・Ofunato City(From Tokyo: approx. 2 h 10 min–2 h 40 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
- 2026/10/25
Yoshihama Suneka is a traditional event passed down in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture. On the night of Koshogatsu, visiting deities wearing strange masks and straw rain capes visit homes and pray for children to grow up healthy and for abundant harvests and catches.
About Yoshihama Suneka
Yoshihama Suneka is a visiting-deity event passed down in the Yoshihama district of Sanriku Town, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture.
On the night of Koshogatsu, Suneka, wearing strange masks and straw rain capes, visit homes and admonish lazy people and crying children.
Suneka have also been regarded as beings who herald spring and bring abundant harvests and catches.
国の重要無形民俗文化財で、2018年には「来訪神：仮面・仮装の神々」の一つとしてユネスコ無形文化遺産に登録されました。
Source: ユネスコ無形文化遺産「吉浜のスネカ」 | 大船渡市ホームページ
Festival highlights
A highlight is Suneka’s bizarre costume: a wooden mask that looks neither quite like an ogre nor an animal, along with straw rain capes or furs, arm guards, and snow boots.
An abalone shell hangs from the waist, and a straw bale with shoes attached is carried on the back.
The abalone shell is said to serve as a noisemaker announcing the visit; the straw bale represents an abundant harvest, and the abalone an abundant catch. Another distinctive feature is the way Suneka walk bent over while snorting.
Source: 国指定文化財等データベース
A fearsome visiting deity goes from home to home, sharing Yoshihama’s hopes at Koshogatsu
What to expect
Preparations take place at a community facility on the afternoon of January 15. Those playing Suneka put on their masks and costumes, and roles are assigned for each settlement.
After sunset, Suneka visit the homes in each settlement one by one. They snort, shake the doors, and scratch at them with their claws before entering the houses.
Calling out loudly to the residents, “Is there anyone shirking their duties?” and “Is there a crying child?”, they continue their admonishing gestures toward lazy people and children until the residents offer them rice cakes to encourage them to leave.
How to take part
Yoshihama Suneka is a traditional event that is difficult for the general public to observe as it visits homes.
Every year on the night of January 15, Suneka visit homes and admonish children and lazy people.
Source: PDF資料
Location and access
- Venue and address
大船渡市三陸町吉浜地区／出発式：吉浜地区拠点センター（大船渡市三陸町吉浜字上野93-1、三陸鉄道吉浜駅隣）
- Train and bus
Sanriku Railway Yoshihama Station
Source: 「吉浜のスネカ」出発式参加者（親子）募集 | 大船渡市ホームページ
Address 93-1 Ueno, Yoshihama, Sanriku Town, Ofunato City
Dates and season
Yoshihama Suneka is an annual traditional event held on the night of January 15.
Suneka visit homes in the Yoshihama district, admonishing children and lazy people, and praying for children to grow up healthy, among other things.
Specific dates and times for the 2027 event are not listed in the information available for confirmation.
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 Iwate Prefecture / Ofunato City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
大船渡市立博物館
岩手県大船渡市にある博物館
三陸復興国立公園
東北地方の三陸沿岸を区域とする国立公園
写真：Junpei Satoh / CC BY-SA 3.0(resized and reformatted)
Photo source ·Origins and History of Yoshihama Suneka
When Suneka began is unknown, but it is thought to have been practiced for at least 200 years.
It temporarily ceased in the Showa 10s due to the Pacific War, but was revived in the Showa 30s. In the Showa 40s, its date shifted from the lunar calendar to the solar calendar.
The Yoshihama Suneka Preservation Association was established in Heisei 7; the event was designated a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in Heisei 16 and inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in Heisei 30.
Official information
Ofunato City provides information about the Yoshihama Suneka event and an overview of the customs.
The Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties provides details of its designation as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, its location, and an explanation of the event.
Yoshihama Suneka at a Glance
Yoshihama Suneka is a Koshogatsu event in which visiting deities, made to look otherworldly with masks and straw rain capes, visit homes and admonish lazy people and crying children.
The abalone shell at the waist and the straw bale on the back embody wishes for abundant catches and harvests.
Passed down for about 200 years, the event was interrupted during wartime and revived in the Showa 30s. It is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property and inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
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Article updated: 2026/10/25
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