Onisube Festival

The Onisube Festival stands as one of Japan's grand fire festivals, an annual spectacle held on January 7 within the sacred grounds of Dazaifu Tenmangu. With the participation of hundreds of devoted parishioners, this vibrant event serves as a powerful ritual to dispel misfortune and beckon prosperity for the upcoming year.

Commencing at 8:30 p.m. following the earlier Usokae festival, the Onisube Festival begins at the main sanctuary. Here, priests bestow their blessings upon a sacred fire, which is then ceremoniously carried across the picturesque bridges spanning Shinji-ike pond, leading to the heart of the festival grounds. Meanwhile, a group of participants, adorned as ogres, assembles in a wooden hall, anticipating the unfolding spectacle. Another group positions themselves in front of the hall, acting as guardians shielding the ogres from the exorcists tasked with banishing these mythical beings using the sacred fire.

As the three groups align and the sacred fire reaches its destination, bundles of straw are ignited. Fiery torches in the hands of the exorcists intensify the flames of the straw bonfires, channeling smoke into the hall in an effort to expel and banish the ogres. Simultaneously, the group safeguarding the ogres strives to create openings in the hall's walls, allowing the accumulated smoke to escape into the night. The Onisube Festival unfolds as a captivating dance of fire, smoke, and ritual, embodying the rich tapestry of Japanese tradition and spirituality.

January 7 

3pm