murmurYakuoji Temple Hatsue-shiki (New Year Ceremony for Warding Off Misfortune)
Minami Town · Yakuoji Temple
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Yakuoji Temple · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates not confirmed
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid February
- How the date is set
- Every year, February 11 – February 12
- Venue
- Yakuoji Temple
- City
- Minami Town, Tokushima
About
Yakuoji in Minami, Temple No. 23 on the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage and famous for protection against misfortune, holds this ceremony every February 11 and 12. It falls on the first festival day of the temple's principal image after Risshun, the start of spring in the old calendar. The healing Buddha Yakushi is said to have made twelve vows that correspond to the Twelve Heavenly Generals of the zodiac, and the sick are believed to be rescued by the general of their own birth sign. The main draw is on February 12: at 11:00 and 13:00, 26 priests with ties to the temple from around Tokushima perform a grand fire ritual with a reading of the Great Wisdom Sutra, and rice cakes are thrown to the crowd at 12:00. It is about a 5-minute walk from Hiwasa Station on the JR Mugi Line.
Sources
- OfficialYakuoji Temple yakuouji.net
- OfficialTokushima Prefecture Tourism Association (Awanavi) www.awanavi.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.