Matsuri Guide

Name in Japanese and English

• もちがせ流しびな行事（もちがせ ながしびな ぎょうじ）
• Mochigase Nagashibina Matsuri, the floating doll ceremony of Mochigase

History

The nagashibina（流しびな, nagashibina, "floating dolls"） is a rite linked to the Hina-matsuri（ひな祭り, hina-matsuri, "doll festival"） and the tradition of hina-nagashi（ひな流し, hina-nagashi, "dolls that are set adrift"）, consisting of transferring impurities and misfortunes onto a pair of figurines (often a couple) before entrusting them to the current.

In Mochigase（用瀬, Mochigase）, in the basin of the Chiyogawa River（千代川, Sendai-gawa, "Sendai/Chiyo River"）, this custom has been maintained without interruption since the Edo period. The principle is simple: a pair of paper dolls is placed on a small straw platform (san-dawara（桟俵, san-dawara）), decorated (flowers, offerings), then set on the water to pray for mubyō-sokusai（無病息災, mubyō-sokusai, "good health without illness"） and the growth of children.

This continuity has earned the tradition recognition as a folkloric cultural heritage: it has notably been designated at the prefectural level (intangible folkloric cultural property) and is subject to national recognition as one of the selected intangible folkloric cultural properties.

Place & Date

• Place: area of the House of Nagashibina（流しびなの館, Nagashibina no Yakata）and banks of the Chiyogawa River（千代川, Sendai-gawa）, Mochigase district, city of Tottori（鳥取市, Tottori-shi）, Tottori Prefecture（鳥取県, Tottori-ken）.
• Address reference: 〒689-1211 鳥取県鳥取市用瀬町別府32-1（around Nagashibina no Yakata）.
• Date: variable, every year on the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar（旧暦3月3日, kyūreki sangatsu mikka）.
  

Event Flow

The day revolves around the nagashibina（流しびな, nagashibina） by the river: children in kimono (and sometimes families in traditional attire) come to place the pair of dolls on the water with hands joined, then let them drift away with their wishes for health.

Depending on the editions, there are also highlights such as:

• a prayer ceremony（祈祷神事, kitō shinji） on the riverbanks,
• a otakiage（お焚きあげ, otakiage）, a ritual "purifying cremation" for old dolls,
• readings related to the world of dolls and Hina-matsuri（朗読会, rōdoku-kai）,
• town houses that open occasionally for a "doll" walk around the city（雛めぐり, hina-meguri）.

Visitors can often participate by purchasing a pair of nagashibina on site, then setting them adrift themselves (no costume required).

Practical Tips

• Photos: aim for the riverbanks with the river in the background (current + mountains). The most striking scenes are at the moment of releasing the dolls (hands joined, then departure on the water).
• Weather: the event often falls between late March and late April: bring a windbreaker layer and something to handle a shower (riverbank).
• Transport: the easiest is the train to JR Mochigase（JR用瀬駅, JR Mochigase-eki）, then a short walk to the site. By car, arrive early if you want to park near the museum.

Sources & References

• Official links
  • 流しびなの館 Official site (Nagashibina no Yakata, official site)

    announcement and general information, including the announced date for 2026.

  • 「もちがせの流しびな」Introduction page (official site, dedicated page)

    explanation of the rite (nagashi-bina, sandawara, Sendai-gawa).

  • Tottori City: Mochigase Nagashibina Event (municipal page)

    public information page on the tradition and announced event.

  • Tottori City Tourism Site: Mochigase Nagashibina Event (event sheet)

    practical sheet (location, access, phone, announced date).