murmurOni-oi Demon-Chasing Rite at Shoshazan Engyoji
Himeji City · Engyoji Temple on Mt. Shosha (Maniden hall and Hakusan Gongen shrine)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Shoshazan Engyoji · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Jan 18, 2026 （Ended） Shushoe service at the Maniden hall from 13:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid January
- How the date is set
- Every year on January 18
- Venue
- Engyoji Temple on Mt. Shosha (Maniden hall and Hakusan Gongen shrine)
- City
- Himeji City, Hyogo
About
On January 18, the first Kannon day of the year, Engyoji temple on Mt. Shosha in Himeji holds a demon-chasing rite to sweep away bad luck. After the Shushoe New Year service in the Maniden hall, chopsticks are scattered as a signal, and two demons, one blue and one red, dance to drive off evil and pray for good fortune and a rich harvest. They are the guardian spirits Otten and Wakaten, said to embody the deities Fudo Myoo and Bishamonten. Watch how they differ: the blue demon grips a sacred sword in both hands, while the red one carries a torch and a bell with a mallet on its back. According to the temple, the Umezu family of the Higashizaka area has run the whole ceremony, demon roles included, for more than a thousand years. The temple's hidden six-armed Nyoirin Kannon statue is also shown to the public that day. The rite is an Intangible Folk Cultural Property designated by Himeji City.
Sources
- OfficialShoshazan Engyoji www.shosha.or.jp
- OfficialHimeji City www.city.himeji.lg.jp
Last checked: Oct 10, 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.