murmurOeshiki Festival at Ikegami Honmonji Temple
Ota City · Ikegami Honmonji Temple and the streets of Ikegami
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Ikegami Honmonji Temple · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Oct 11–13, 2026 Lantern procession on October 12, from 18:00 until about 23:00
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid October
- How the date is set
- Every year, October 11 – October 13 Three days centered on October 13, the anniversary of Nichiren's death; the lantern procession is on the night of the 12th
- Venue
- Ikegami Honmonji Temple and the streets of Ikegami
- City
- Ota City, Tokyo
About
Ikegami Honmonji, a head temple of Nichiren Buddhism, holds the Oeshiki memorial services on the anniversary of founder Nichiren's death. Since this is where he died, its Oeshiki is the largest held by any Nichiren temple, and the word "oeshiki" has even become an autumn season word. The event to see is the lantern procession on the eve of the anniversary: around 3,000 people from more than a hundred lay groups walk the roughly 2 km from Ikegami Tokuji Kaikan to the temple until late at night. Their mando lanterns, lit pagodas decked with paper cherry blossoms, recall the story that a cherry tree in the garden bloomed out of season when Nichiren died. At the front, matoi standards said to have been started by Edo firefighters spin to fan drums, bells and flutes. On the last morning the bell is rung for the hour of his passing.
Sources
- OfficialIkegami Honmonji Temple honmonji.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.