About this event
Held every year on November 23 at Historic Site Ashikaga School, the "Sekiten" is an ancient ritual honoring Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, and his prominent disciples, designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Ashikaga City. Meaning "placing offerings," this ritual is said to have been first performed in Japan in 701 (the first year of the Taiho era). It spread nationwide during the Edo period when Confucianism flourished, but today it is a very rare event surviving in only a few places across Japan. On the day, Ashikaga School is partially opened to the public for free. Approximately 150 attendees enter after performing ritual purification in front of the Kyodanmon Gate, and as the sound of bells echoes, a Shinto priest reads a ritual prayer. In the venue where gagaku (ancient court music) plays, offerings such as meat, fish, and vegetables are dedicated to the statue of Confucius and the statue of Lord Ono no Takamura, who is said to have founded Ashikaga School. In the Hojo (Abbot's Hall), restored to its appearance around the Edo period, visitors can also experience kanji examinations as if they were students of that time.
Source website (Japanese) ↗Venue
Historic Site Ashikaga School
2338 Shohei-cho, Ashikaga, Tochigi 326-0813
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