murmurIwatsunoyama Great Bonten Festival
Motomiya City · Gankakuji Temple, Mt. Iwatsuno
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Gankakuji Temple · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sat, Jan 3, 2026 （Ended） Fire-ritual prayers from 10:00; the bonten scramble starts at noon
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early January
- How the date is set
- Every year on January 3 The temple has announced it for January 3 each year
- Venue
- Gankakuji Temple, Mt. Iwatsuno
- City
- Motomiya City, Fukushima
About
On Mt. Iwatsuno in the Wada district of Motomiya, the new year opens with a lively scramble at Gankakuji, a Tendai temple directly affiliated with Enryakuji on Mt. Hiei; the whole mountain is protected as a scenic spot and natural monument. First comes a fire-ritual prayer service wishing worshippers health and family safety for the year. Then 12 large bonten, sacred staffs trimmed with paper, are offered. Carrying a scrap of bonten is said to keep you healthy all year, so at noon the crowd surges in to grab one. From 2026, elementary school children have their own bonten scramble too. In 2026 it took place on January 3. The temple is a short drive from JR Motomiya Station.
Sources
- OfficialGankakuji Temple iwatsunosan.com
- OfficialFukushima Prefectural Tourism & Products Association (Fukushima Travel) www.tif.ne.jp
Last checked: Oct 11, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.