Last year’s daruma go into the fire; this year’s are bought from one of six hundred stalls, at a price you are expected to negotiate.
Overview
Maebashi’s Hatsuichi dates to 1617, when the lord Sakai established a market in Kanai and permitted stalls on Honmachi from 9 January. Four centuries later it is still the city’s new-year fixture, and one of Gunma’s three big daruma markets alongside Takasaki’s.
The rite at its centre is ofurudaruma otakiage: dolls that have served their year are collected at Maebashi Hachimangu and burned in thanks, and standing in that smoke is said to bring a year of good health.
When and where
The festival is held on 9 January every year, so in 2027 that is Saturday 9 January, typically from 10:00 to 20:00, with traffic control from 09:00 to 22:00.
Old daruma can be handed in at Maebashi Hachimangu from 29 December to 8 January; the burning runs from about 10:00 to 11:30 on the day.
Getting there
Maebashi is about 20 minutes from Takasaki on the JR Ryomo line, and Takasaki is 50 minutes from Tokyo on the Hokuriku or Joetsu Shinkansen. The venue is Route 50 between Honmachi 1-chome and the five-way junction, plus the Hachimangu grounds, all within walking distance of Maebashi Station.
What to expect
A street market with a rite at one end of it.
- Around 600 stalls along about 500 metres of closed highway
- Daruma dolls, beckoning-cat figures, lucky charms and plants for sale
- The togyo no gi procession and the daruma bonfire at Maebashi Hachimangu
- Most lucky charms are sold without a marked price, so haggling is part of it
- Takasaki’s larger Daruma-ichi on 1-2 January for anyone in the area over New Year
Tickets and admission
Free. Bring cash: stalls are cash-only, and having small notes helps when negotiating. Roads are closed to vehicles for most of the day, so come by train.
Tips for visitors
Come after dark if you want the atmosphere and in the late morning if you want the bonfire. A daruma is bought with both eyes blank: you ink one in when you make a wish and the other when it is granted. Ask the stallholder to write your name and wish on the doll – most will do it on the spot.
Access and map
| Dates | 9 January 2027, 10:00-20:00 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Route 50 (Honmachi) and Maebashi Hachimangu, Maebashi, Gunma |
| Access | JR Maebashi station, on foot |
| Admission | Free |
| Official site | Maebashi City |
Source: Maebashi City official site
Image: Photo: Javbw / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
