murmurTakasu Kannon Oni-e (Demon Fire Rite)
Usa City · Around Takasu Kannon Hall, Kamihaida and Yamamoto, Usa
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Tourism Oita · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sun, Jan 4, 2026 （Ended） From 8:00 pm
- 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 4
- Venue
- Around Takasu Kannon Hall, Kamihaida and Yamamoto, Usa
- City
- Usa City, Oita
About
On a night just after New Year, men in loincloths set out from Kannon-ji Temple near Takasu Kannon Hall in Usa, holding torches about two metres long, and cross the Yakkan River. On the other bank they light a huge bonfire and clash their torches together, praying for good health and a good harvest. Because it uses both water and fire, it is called a festival of water and fire, and it is said to have over 1,300 years of history. The hall is built into a hollow in a cliff face, said to have been founded about 1,300 years ago by the monk Horen, and it houses three Heian-period wooden Buddhist statues. The scenic area around it is nicknamed 'Little Yabakei', and the 132.5 m Takasu suspension bridge spans the river.
Sources
- OfficialTourism Oita www.visit-oita.jp
- OfficialUsa City www.city.usa.oita.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.