Demon Festival
Oni Matsuri

Feb. 10-11 (annual)

Akumi-Kambe Shinmeisha (shrine)

photo from "Toyohashi-oni-matsuri"




Demon Festival has been carried on since around 940 in the Heian period (794-1192)
and was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1980.

The main event of this festival is called "Aka-oni to Tengu no Karakai /
rallery between Aka-oni (red demon) and Tengu (long-nosed goblin)".
The story performed by the red demon and Tengu came from the Japanese mythology.
A devasting god ( Susanoo-no-mikoto = red demon) appeared in Takamagahara (lit. "high heavenly plain", where gods live)
and destroied the granaries. A god of martial arts (Sarutahiko-no-mikoto = Tengu) fought to chasten and straighten out him.
Then all the gods felt happy and danced kagura.
People innovated dengaku performance, which soaked up this story, to a Shinto ritual of their festival,
and pray for rich harvest and prosperity

During the climax of this festival,
the red demon try to offer battle to Tengu again and again, but he is defeated.
He escapes from the shrine yard and runs around the town
scattering tankiri-ame (candies made from grain powders) with white grain powder over the visitors to drive out the evils.
It is said that if are showered with this powder or eat tankiri-amel, you will not get illness during the summer.
Lots of visitors are excited to get tankiri-ame and powder shower.



date time details
Feb. 10th
Eve

mainly performed
by children		 10:00- *Iwato-dance by Ao-oni (blue demon)
*Scattering tankiri-ame candies by Blue Demon to drive out evil spirits
15:00- *Shinto ritual called Hohei-sai
*Scattering tankiri-ame candies by members of Akumi-Kambe-Shinmeisha suppoters association
to drive out evil spirits
16:00- *Iwato-dance by Blue demon
*Scattering tankiri-ame candies by Blue Demon to drive out evil spirits
Feb. 11th 10:00- *annual festival
*Scattering tankiri-ame candies by members of Akumi-Kambe-Shinmeisha suppoters association
to drive out evil spirits
*Omiki-biraki ...all the members of Aka-oni (red demon) group get together at Nakaseko-cho community center and hold an openin ceremony.
Omiki means sake(rice wine) and biraki means to open. pic.
10:30- *procession of Aka-oni (red demon) group..
They carry offerings, tankiri-ame candies, Aka-oni costume and shumoku with band music.
pic
11:50- Demonlet visits the main shrine
Scattering tankiri-ame candies by Demonlet to drive out evil spirits
12:30- Shinto ritual
*Scattering tankiri-ame candies by members of Akumi-Kambe-Shinmeisha suppoters association
to drive out evil spirits
14:00- Raillery between Akaoni (red demon) and Tengu
kagura, Shitenshi-dengaku, etc.
16:00- Gods return to the shrine





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inquiries
Akumi Kambe Shinmeisha (shrine)
TEL: 0532-52-5257

access
Get off at Toyohashi sta. on the Meitetsu Honsen or JR Nagoya Honsen line.
Take a tram bound for any direction.
Get off at Toyohashi-Koen-mae sta..
Approx. 3-min. walk.