更新日:2009年3月31日
Obisha, an event that takes place every February at Hakusansha Shrine in the Jono area, enjoys 300 years of history. Originally a festival held as part of the coming-of-age ceremony for boys turning 15, the event proceeds with the lively tossing of mochi from the top of a wobbly 5-meter tower constructed at the shrine, while underneath, everyone simultaneously gathers up the fallen mochi. On this day, boys prove themselves and demonstrate their courage in front of everyone.
The mochi-tossing event at the bodhisattva statue at Nishijo-Hachimansha Shrine to wish for good health is a highly-anticipated local custom. As mochi-tossing begins with a signal from the taiko drum, waves of people surge this way and that, chasing the innumerable bits of flying mochi — a lively sight to behold.
With a history going back over 500 years, this event is a government-designated significant intangible cultural asset and counted among the three of Japan’s Great River Festivals. The morning ceremony is held every year on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of July with the participation of the Ichieguruma from Higashiho-cho. It leads six sharaku boats as they proceed down the Tenno River. One impressive highlight is when 10 of the people with the float jump from the Ichieguruma into the river.
This is a major festival that takes place at Shobata Shrine on the second Sunday of every March. The name comes from the practice of giving a barrel of okowai (rice with red beans) as an offering. The deity here is thought to partake of his meal together with the locals, who share in his happiness during the event.
This historical event takes place at Heki Hachimangu Shrine in Hekicho on January 15 of the lunar calendar, and has taken place continually since the 15th century. Sekihan (steamed rice with red beans) and reeds are boiled together in a large pot, and the village’s fortune — whether the harvest will be bountiful or poor — is divined according to the amount of rice that gets inside the hollow reeds.
During this event, participants pray for family safety and good health by passing through an archway made of reeds. The ceremony takes place every January 4 at Ubagamori Shrine in Machikata-cho.