Annual events schedule
- December 31st, or New Year's Eve
- New Years Eve and New Years first Goma rite and Candle Festival
- Jan.1st to 10th
- Shonan Seven Deites of God Fortune
- Jan.20th
- Hatu daishi rite and Otakiage ceremony
- Feb.3rd
- Setubun(bean-throwing) ceremony
- March 17th
- Higan Follower's Memorial Service
- April 8th
- Buddha's Birthday Celebration
- June15th to 19th
- Osunafumi(Waking-on-sand ritual) from a temple regularly visted by pilgrims in Shikoku
- June 20th
- Aoba Festival (Commemoration of Kobo Daishi's Birthday)
- Aug.10th
- Osegaki Memorial Service
- Aug.16th
- Bon Seirei Okuri(the Bon Lantern Festival at beach in Zushi citiy)
- Sept. 20th
- Sankai Manreidan and Pet Memorial Service
- Nov. 20th
- Daihannya Tendoku Ggoma rite and Koharubiyori Yose (Japanese Comic Story Telling)
- Dec.20th
- Osame Daishi and Otakiage Ceremony
- 20th of every month
- Goma Rite and Sermon by the chief priest of the temple
Introductin of main events
The last day of the year and New Year Goma rite
On the last day of the year night from 11 o'clock in the afternoon, many garden lanterns are stood in line on the both side of the passage of the temple from the entrance to the main hall. And we pray for the accomplishments of coming year wishes.
And New Year Goma rite is performed accompanying with magnificent sound of a drum from 0 o’clock on New Year’s Day.
Hatu daishi rite
Goma rite is performed as New Year Daishi (hatu daishi). Many priests chant sutras in high spirits in order to protect charm and pray for the better fortune. The Buddhist service is performed with full of life and high-spirited, which is characteristic in Shingon Buddhism.
And "Otakiage" ceremony is held. Otakiage is one of the religious rites. People bring sacred things such as old charms or New Year's ornaments to the temple, and they have them burned in an appropriate way.
In addition to these ceremonies, a sermon is made by a distinguished priest and a raffle is held. Visitors are looking forward to the raffle. Finally Adzuki-bean soup with rice cake is severed from the temple.
Setubun( bean-throwing ) ceremony
Hoshimaturi prayer is performed from 2 o’clock in the afternoon on February 3rd. Hoshimaturi is a religious event which was made from old time. It is said that Hoshi (star) decide the destiny of the people. The Hoshi changes on Setubun as a boundary. They hold a memorial service for nine hoshi which govern the destiny of the people. Perfect states of health and accomplishment of various wishes are prayed by a secret method of Shingon Buddhism being handed by Kobo Daishi.
The equinoctial week: follower’s memorial service
A Higan ｆollower’s memorial service is performed in the first day of the equinoctial week in spring. We have higan twice a year. Higan is 7-days long, twice a year. The first time is 3-days before and after Shunbun-no-hi (Vernal Equinox) and again at Shuubun-no-hi (Autumn Equinox). Originally Higan means ‘the other bank of the river’, as in Satori-no-sekai (enlightenment world) found in traditions of Buddhism.
On these special days, we respect in our hearts and recall in our minds people who have passed away and we visit to the temple and their graves.
Sakyamuni’s Birthday celebration
Hanamaturi is an event to celebrate Sakyamuni’s birthday on April 8th every year and he is the founder of Buddhism.
A small alter called Hanamido is decorated with flowers. A statue of Sakyamuni as a child made of metal is enshrined in the Hanamido. Amacha (sweet tea ) is poured by visitors on the top of the statue with a dipper. Amacha is also offered to visitors.
Osunafumi (the Scared Sand Walking)
Osunafumi is opened at the main hall of Tosh-ji temple from June 15th to
19th every year.
It is said that the 88 temples as the scared places in Shikoku was established
by Kobo-Daishi in 815. The sand from 88 different temples in Shikoku is
arranged in the main hall of the temple. Visitors can make a symbolic pilgrimage
of these 88 places within a day by stepping over these sand squares one
by one in stead of the Shikoku Pilgrimages going on foot.
Followers carrying out an osunafumi pilgrimage
Osegaki memorial service
Osegaki memorial service is performed from 10 o’clock in the morning on August 10th and Shin-bon mitama segaki memorial service is performed from 2 o’clock in the afternoon to the person who died within a year.
O-Bon mitama okuri (the Bon Lantern Festival)
The Bon Lantern Festival is performed under the auspices of Zushi Bddhism society at the central part of beach in Zushi.
Our ancestors’ spirits are thought to return their earthly homes at the
beginning of O-Bon. O-Bon mitamaokuri is a Buddhist ceremony for seeing
off spirits of our ancestors.
Sentou (many lanterns) are rite and Otakiage is made in order to burn O-bon
ornaments. Mitama are taken in a Mitama boat and are sent off beyond the
sea.
Daihannnya tendoku prayer meeting
Daihannya Tendoku prayer meeting is held on Dec.20nd. Daihannya sutra is the Bible which is collected the teaching of Shakyamuni. It is composed of 600 volume sutras.
Tendoku means flipping through pages, or opening scrolls, and reading the chapter headings at breakneck speed of the text a certain number of times. As priest can not read a large quantity of Daihannya sutra, many priests make Tendoku. They also prey the peace of this year and health of followers.
