About this event
Held every year on January 14 at Nenbutsu-ji Tada-do in Otsu-cho, Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, Tada-do no Oni-hashiri is a fire festival boasting a tradition of more than 500 years. Conducted as the concluding ceremony of the Shushou-e rites, it is designated as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. In the evening ceremony, holding blazing torches, a red demon (father demon) with an ax, a blue demon (mother demon) with twisted wood, and a brown demon (child demon) with a mallet appear. Circling the Tada-do (main hall) 3 times, they are said to ward off misfortune and bring good fortune to people. In particular, in the Hibuse-no-gyo (fire-averting ascetic practice) performed by the Katte role, one can witness the heroic sight of waving torches in the shape of the kanji character for water. This rare festival where demons bring happiness is a winter tradition in Gojo City that attracts many worshipers despite the severe cold. It is also said that people once divined the rice crop based on how the torches burned.
Source website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Nenbutsu-ji Temple
177 Otsu-cho, Gojo, Nara 637-0060
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