About this event
A traditional agricultural festival held annually on October 18 at Muro Shinmei Shrine in Muro-cho, Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture. Said to have begun in the late Edo period, this ritual prays for good health and protection from misfortune throughout the year. The festival's highlight is the "Ohitsu-wari," where men at their critical/unlucky ages (yakudoshi) compete for a sacred wooden tub (ohitsu) filled with red beans and rice (sekihan) received from before the altar. Once the lid of the tub is smashed open with bare hands, gathered spectators rush forward in a wild and energetic spectacle to grab handfuls of the sekihan directly from the tub. The festival is designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Nishio City, offering a valuable opportunity to experience authentic local traditional culture. The festival ritual is scheduled from around 14:00, and the Ohitsu-wari from around 15:00.
Source website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Muro Shinmei Shrine
97 Kamiyashiki, Murocho, Nishio, Aichi 445-0033
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