A New Year’s Day tradition, with taiko drums and festival songs echoing through Yui
Yui no Otaiko Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Every year on January 1 / Every year
- Location
- Toyozumi Shrine and other locations
- Area
- Shizuoka Prefecture・Shizuoka City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h–1 h 30 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
- Participation / viewing
- Spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
Yui no Otaiko Festival is a New Year event in Yui Machiyahara, centered on Toyozumi Shrine, where people beat drums as they walk through the neighborhood. The traditions include taiko performances at homes celebrating a special occasion, singing festival songs in unison, and the Okuridaiko, in which participants are splashed with purifying water.
About Yui no Otaiko Festival
Yui no Otaiko Festival is a New Year festival passed down in Yui Machiyahara, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, with the rugged character of a fishing town.
The group walks through the neighborhood playing taiko and visits homes where a celebration has taken place.
Today, the preservation society and young tradition-bearers work together to carry it on as a community event.
It is also designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Shizuoka Prefecture.
Source: 由比のお太鼓祭：静岡市公式ホームページ
Festival highlights
One of the main highlights is the Okuridaiko, in which participants carry the taiko drums, beat them vigorously, and are splashed with purifying water.
Festival songs with distinctive melodies for each part of the event are sung, with those around the lead singer joining in.
Jinku-style songs in a 7-7-7-5 meter mingle with the powerful sound of taiko drums across the streets of Yui.
A New Year’s Day tradition, with taiko drums and festival songs echoing through Yui
What to expect
Around midday on New Year’s Day, participants gather in the at Toyozumi Shrine, and a procession with the taiko drums as its sets off through the neighborhood.
At homes where a celebration has taken place, the Iretaiko is performed: taiko drums are played inside the home and songs are sung to offer congratulations.
At the end, the Okuridaiko is performed: young people carry the taiko drums and beat them while being splashed with water.
How to take part
Visitors can watch the event.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Toyozumi Shrine (Yui Machiyahara, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City).
The festival takes place around Toyozumi Shrine and in the surrounding neighborhood.
- Train and bus
It is a 20-minute walk from JR Yui Station.
- Parking
There is no parking.
Source: しずおか文化財ナビ 由比のお太鼓祭｜静岡県公式ホームページ
Address Yui Machiyahara, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
Every year on January 1
- 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 Shizuoka Prefecture / Shizuoka City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
There is no parking near the venue, so consider using public transportation such as the train.
Since a group carrying taiko drums proceeds through the neighborhood during the festival, it is important to watch from a place that does not obstruct the procession.
Water is used during the Okuridaiko, so please watch while paying attention to the event’s progress and your surroundings.
Nearby attractions
久能山東照宮
静岡市駿河区にある神社
静岡市歴史博物館
静岡市の博物館
Shizuoka Sengen Shrine
静岡県静岡市にある神社
写真：Yoshizumi Endo from Tokyo, JAPAN / CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo source ·
静岡県立美術館
静岡県静岡市にある美術館
写真：江戸村のとくぞう (Edomura no Tokuzo) / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source ·
駿府城
静岡市にあった城
Origins and History of Yui no Otaiko Festival
Yui no Otaiko Festival is a New Year festival passed down in the Machiyahara district along the former Tokaido road.
According to local tradition, it originated as an offering made to celebrate Sakanoue no Tamuramaro’s subjugation of the Emishi.
In the past, young men ran the festival, which also served as a rite of passage marking entry into and departure from the youth association.
It once continued from January 1 until the early hours of the 3rd, but today it is held as a one-day event on January 1.
Official information
The Shizuoka City official website’s “Yui no Otaiko Festival” guide provides information about the festival’s features, highlights, dates, venue, and access.
The Toyozumi Shrine Otaiko Festival Preservation Society is listed as the preservation group.
A link to the preservation society’s website is also provided.
Yui no Otaiko Festival at a Glance
Yui no Otaiko Festival is Yui’s New Year festival, in which people beat taiko drums as they proceed through the neighborhood, centered on Toyozumi Shrine.
The main highlights are the Iretaiko, performed at homes celebrating a special occasion; the Okuridaiko, performed while being splashed with water; and the distinctive festival songs.
Today, the preservation society and young tradition-bearers safeguard the event, which passes on the region’s history as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Shizuoka 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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