Intangible Folk Cultural Properties Requiring Documentation of Fukuoka

In Ashiya, Fukuoka, families mark a child's first hassaku each September: straw horses topped with paper warriors for boys, colored rice-dumpling dolls for girls.

Kasuga no Mukooshi is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property held only once a year at Kasuga Shrine in Fukuoka. On the night before Coming-of-Age Day, men in white loincloths plunge into a freezing pond to battle for a sacred barrel and celebrate the previous year's grooms under a towering sacred fire. Discover this rare centuries-old ritual: its origins, highlights, and how to visit.

Held every May 3rd and 4th in Fukuoka City's Hakata Ward, Hakata Matsubayashi is a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property that has preserved medieval Japanese celebratory performing arts for over six centuries. Discover the Three Lucky Gods procession and children's ritual dances that bring Hakata's streets alive with living tradition.