Senbon Shakado: Jodo-e Memorial Service and Daikon-daki

About this event

At Senbon Shakado (Daihoonji Temple), the "Jodo-e Memorial Service and Daikon-daki (Radish Boiling)" will be held from Monday, December 7 to Tuesday, December 8, 2026. This event combines a Buddhist service commemorating the day the Buddha attained enlightenment with Daikon-daki, a classic Kyoto December tradition to pray for good health and protection from illness. During Daikon-daki, sliced radishes and fried tofu are simmered thoroughly in soy sauce and kelp broth in a large pot measuring about 1 meter in diameter. The radishes are inscribed with Sanskrit characters (Bonji) and blessed through incantations and prayers before being served, believed to offer divine protection against all illnesses. Tradition holds that this practice began in the Kamakura period when Priest Jizen inscribed Bonji onto the cut surfaces of radishes to ward off evil spirits, and this tradition continues today. Partaking in the radish, which warms the body to its core, allows visitors to pray for good health. The steam rising from the large pots and the sight of many worshippers visiting are cherished as a winter tradition in Kyoto. The main hall of Senbon Shakado is the oldest standing structure in urban Kyoto to have survived the fires of the Onin War and is designated as a National Treasure. Visiting the historic main hall alongside the Daikon-daki is recommended. The event runs from 10:00 to 16:00, and the Daikon-daki is served for 1,000 yen.

Venue

Daihoonji Temple (Senbon Shakado)

1034 Mizomaecho, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto 602-8319