About "Ennen no Mai" on the poster


Jogyodo Hatsukayasai at Motsuji Temple

On the night of January 20, amidst severe cold falling snow, a festival marking the end of he Shushoe ceremony is held at the Jogyodo Hall. The Shusho-ceremony is a 20-day supplication period in which the Buddhist priests pray for the well-being of the country in the new year. In the evening the priests hold a memorial service for the souls of the departed - a ceremony descended from the ancient priest Jikaku Daishi. The visitors, who come to pray for good health, are ushered in when the holy fire for invocation is lit. Later outside the Hall, the ceremony of Somin, in which naked men run around carrying torches, brings the festival to a climax. When this fervor has subsided somewhat, the priests perform a special dance called the "Ennen no Mai".
lcws95@kekvax.kek.jp Feb. 25, 1995