Do you turn the various disasters of the year into lies? Report on visiting Takahata Tenmangu Shrine's Liar Festival [Fukushima Prefecture]

Takahata Tenmangu Shrine in Iizaka-machi, Fukushima City At "Uso Kae Festival" held twice a year in January and April, the shrine bestows lucky charms with the powerful power to turn the various misfortunes of the year into "lies."

Because of this, the area around the shrine is extremely congested on the day of the festival every year, and there are long lines at the shrine. This time, I will be reporting on my first visit to the Usokae Festival

By the way, the "Uso Kae Festival" are summarized in the article below.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

What is the "Liar Festival" in Iizaka Town? With the hope that disaster will be turned into a lie [Fukushima Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/6844

The Usokae Festival is held twice a year at Takahata Tenmangu Shrine in Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, in the northern part of Fukushima Prefecture. With the wish to turn all misfortune into a lie and turn it into something good. It is a festival where many people come to worship in search of special amulets that can only be obtained at the Usokae Festival. In this article, we will introduce the Takahata Tenmangu Shrine Usokae Festival and explain how to visit it. What is Usokae Festival? The Usokae Festival is a Shinto ritual held with the hope of turning all the bad things from the previous year into lies and turning them into good things. You will receive a carved wooden amulet in the shape of a bird called a heron. The Sagittarius amulet is used as a scapegoat for a year's worth of bad things...

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[7:50 AM] We arrived at the venue and the parking lot was already full..

This time, I visited on Sunday, January 12th, 2025. I left Sendai around 6:30am, where the heavy snowfall on Friday had fallen, which was unusual. The snow on the road had mostly melted, but it was still covered in black ice, and I couldn't tell if it was frozen or dry. I drove carefully and arrived at the destination around 7:50am

The award ceremony was scheduled to begin at 9am, so we arrived with plenty of time to spare

However, the parking lot at Takahata Tenmangu Shrine (Nishinone Shrine) was already full. When I asked the security guard directing traffic, he told me that the nearby JA Fukushima Mirai Fukushima District Headquarters was open as a temporary parking lot for the Usokae Festival.

When we headed there straight away, there were still plenty of spaces available, and we were able to park quickly after waiting in a queue of 3-4 cars!

We parked in the JA temporary parking lot and walked about five minutes to the shrine. When we arrived at the site at exactly 8:00, there was already a long line

The path leading from the large torii gate of Nishine Shrine, visible in the photo, to the shrine office where the offerings are made is about 80 meters long, so we were set up about 100 meters away

At first, I thought maybe we arrived a little early, but that wasn't the case at all. In fact, it would have been better if we had arrived a little earlier

According to an article in the Fukushima Minpo, the person at the front of the procession on the 10th, the first day of the festival, had been waiting for about 32 hours, starting from around 1am on the 9th... That's amazing

After this, the line behind me continued to grow

【9:00 AM] The line gradually starts to move

The line gradually begins to move around 8:50, about 10 minutes before the awards begin

There are a storm of food stalls on both sides of the approach to the shrine. The cold weather and the hunger from not having had breakfast make you want to buy some snacks, but you have to resist the urge!

The line moved irregularly, moving quickly only to pause for a while. After about 20 minutes, we were almost at the main gate

After passing through the temple gate, we split into three lines and waited in front of the gift shop. This area was the most crowded, and it took another 20 minutes. Apparently, if someone buys a lot of items, the line stops for a while. It's understandable, as this is a chance that only comes twice a year

[10:00 AM] After waiting for about two hours, I finally saw the long-awaited Usodori (Japanese bush warbler)

Finally, it was my turn at exactly 10:00. I had been waiting in line since 8:00 and it had been about two hours. It was early in the morning on a winter day with still snow still lingering, so my body was completely cold and I was shivering

Although I endured the cold, I managed to achieve my goal. I was given two small wooden carvings of Usodori (Japanese bush warblers), and I also made sure to visit Takahata Tenmangu Shrine. This year looks set to be a good one

A large number of bush warblers that had completed their role for the year were placed next to Takahata Tenmangu Shrine

I also found a stall selling souvenirs for the Usokae Festival. They were selling dorayaki and manju with the image of a bush warbler branded on them, as well as Iizaka's famous radium eggs. I bought some dorayaki here too, since I was there

the Donto Festival is held at Nishine Shrine

summary

Takahata Tenmangu Shrine is not a particularly large shrine, but the number of people attending the Usokae Festival was beyond imagination. By the time I left (around 10:30), the line of people had stretched to about 300 meters, and the temporary parking lot of JA Fukushima Mirai was jammed with cars waiting in line

The peak of the day's crowds is around noon, and on busy days, the line stretches all the way to the Totsunabashi Bridge in front of Iizaka Onsen Station, about 500 meters away

In addition to the extremely powerful benefit of turning the various misfortunes of the year into "lies which only comes twice a year, is what attracts so many people.

By the way, the Usogae Festival in April will award the Spring Usho Bird, which will be limited to 1,000 pieces, with the added premium of being even more competitive.

Based on this experience, if I were to come up with my personal optimal solution for the Uso Kae Festival, I think it would be to arrive at the venue by 7:30 and be prepared to wait for two hours

This way, you'll be able to endure parking and queuing with minimal stress. By the way, since you'll be waiting in the cold for a long time, we recommend that you take precautions against the cold!

Nishine Shrine and Takahata Tenmangu Shrine <Information>

• Name: Nishine Shrine and Takahata Tenmangu Shrine
• Address: 2 Yunotakabatake, Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, 960-0211
• Phone: 024-542-6474
• URL: https://www.nishine-takahata.jp/

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Aoiwa

Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs.