Mizokuchi Kiseru Festival - Kamado Shrine Annual Festival

About this event

The Kiseru Matsuri, held annually on December 13 at Mizokuchi Kamado Shrine in Chikugo City, Fukuoka Prefecture, is a traditional event rooted in a historical episode from the Sengoku period: when the lord of Mizokuchi Castle and his clan were defeated in battle and fled, they used hollow bamboo tubes in place of tobacco pipes (kiseru). The highlight of this festival is a rare ritual in which participants smoke shredded tobacco using pipes made from green bamboo. The sight of shredded tobacco packed into bamboo pipes cut to about 30 centimeters, lit using charcoal braziers, and billowing thick white smoke all at once is truly spectacular. Carrying water for ritual purification, brooms, Tengu masks, and banners, participants parade to Kamado Shrine, where the sacred rites are performed. This festival offers a valuable opportunity to experience the region's living history and heritage.

Venue

Mizokuchi Kamado Shrine

1553 Mizokuchi, Chikugo, Fukuoka 833-0012