murmurUchiwamaki Fan-Throwing Ceremony (Toshodai-ji Temple)
Nara City · Toshodai-ji Temple
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Nara City Tourism Association · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Tue, May 19, 2026 （Ended） Memorial service from 13:00; fan throwing from 15:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid May
- How the date is set
- Every year on May 19
- Venue
- Toshodai-ji Temple
- City
- Nara City, Nara
About
Toshodaiji Temple remembers Kakujo, the Kamakura-period priest who restored it, and the day's big moment is the fan scatter at 3 p.m. Heart-shaped "treasure fans," believed to fend off illness and evil, are thrown from the drum tower to the crowd below. The custom grew from a story about Kakujo, who taught that even letting a mosquito take your blood was a bodhisattva's deed and forbade killing them; fans were later offered in his memory. The scatter follows an afternoon memorial service. To join the scramble you need a participation ticket handed out on the day, and for safety only healthy people aged 20 to 60 may take part. Every visitor in the grounds that day also gets a lottery ticket for a fan.
Sources
- OfficialNara City Tourism Association narashikanko.or.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
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