Category: Festivals

Momote-shiki is a traditional rite in which numerous archers draw their bows in unison at the New Year, loosing a total of one hundred arrows to drive away evil. We unravel the mysteries of this thousand-year-old archery rite, including why the number 'one hundred' was chosen, the meaning of the character for 'demon' written at the center of the target, the differences from yabusame and hamaya, and the structure of this distinctive ritual fusing warrior culture with Shinto.

Shrine Secrets Editorial Team

Yabusame is the sacred ritual in which a galloping rider shoots three targets with whistling kabura arrows. Tracing its revival by Minamoto no Yoritomo, its role in divining the harvest, the symbolism of the rider's costume, and the traditions preserved at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and Shimogamo Shrine, we uncover the essence of yabusame not as martial display but as prayer.

Shrine Secrets Editorial Team

Imagine a man cradling a bamboo cylinder against his body while a torrent of sparks pours from above his head. Tezutsu hanabi, centered in the Mikawa region, is not a tourist fireworks show but a shrine offering. Here we trace its origins, the link with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the prayer it carries into the present.

Shrine Secrets Editorial Team

Each year in the lunar tenth month, myriad gods are said to gather in Izumo for the Kamiarizuki season. The Kamimukae-sai performed on Inasa Beach at its opening is a living ritual that makes Japanese myth feel immediate and real.

Shrine Secrets Editorial Team

Intricate mechanical puppets perform atop festival floats across Japan. We explore why these engineering marvels became sacred offerings to the gods.

Shrine Secrets Editorial Team

The Menkake Gyoretsu at Kamakura's Goryo Shrine features ten eerie masks in procession. We explore the origins and beliefs behind this unusual festival.

Shrine Secrets Editorial Team