02 March 2005
Last
Updated: 03/03/05
I am so
glad I was able to go to this festival - by far my favourite in Japan so
far. A Buddhist festival, legend has it that around 750 years ago one of the
Fukui priests had better things to do (namely fishing) than go to an important
meeting in Nara, so he turned up rather late. Needless to say, the other
priests weren't too pleased about this, so he sent an apology in the form of
some Fukui water, which he poured into the river at Obama. Apparently,
when the rocks under the temple in Nara were tapped, beautiful sweet water
bubbled up, and a new well was formed.
This festival involves around 3,000 people carrying flaming torches for about
2km along the side of the river, down from Jingu shrine to U no Se, where
priests feed the flames of a massive bonfire, before performing the ritual and
pouring the water into the river. A sister festival occurs in Nara 10 days
later, when the water "reaches" the temple there.
The festival really has to be experienced to get a true feel for it - there's
certainly no way I can put the sights, smells and atmosphere into words.
I'm afraid my photos aren't great either, because it was dark... Suffice
to say, if you ever get the chance to go to Omizuokuri - GO!
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Participants walk down the hill from the Jingu Temple, carrying flaming torches |
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An attendant standing in the rain next to one of the braziers |
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U no Se |
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A man re-lights his torch from a fellow participant |
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U no Se |
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The bonfire |
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Look closely, and you can see the white-robed priests |
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A better picture of the priests |
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The ceremony, just before the holy water is poured into the river |
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Back at the fire |
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