[Fukushima Prefecture] What is Fukushima City's "Usokae Festival"? With a wish to turn disaster into a lie

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 wish to turn all the bad things from the previous year into lies and turn them into good things. You will receive a carved wooden amulet in the shape of a bird called a heron. The Sagittarius amulet is said to take on the bad things of the year and turn them into good things.

The Usokae Festival is held at Tenmangu Shrines and Tenjin Shrines all over the country, which are dedicated to Sugawara Michizane. One of these is held at Takahata Tenmangu Shrine in Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture. Takahata Tenmangu Shrine is the only shrine in the Tohoku region where the Usokae Festival is held.

By the way, the heron is a bird that often flies to the plum tree that Michizane Sugawara loved. There is a story that when a visitor who was worshiping at Tenjin Shrine was attacked by a swarm of bees, a heron ate the bees and saved the visitor. This episode is said to be the origin of the Usokae Festival.

is Takahata Tenmangu Shrine Usokae Festival ?

Takahata Tenmangu Shrine's Usokae Festival is held every January and April. In particular, the Usokae Festival in January is so crowded that tens of thousands of people from inside and outside the prefecture come to worship. There are often long lines and crowded parking lots as people seek out the wooden carved amulets. Normally, the festival is held over four days, but crowds are expected to arrive early on the first day.

Takahata Tenmangu Shrine's wooden carved heron charms are popular for their adorable appearance. It also has long tail feathers on its back, and its large eyes watch over the safety of the family. There are five sizes ranging from extra-large 27cm to extra-small 9cm, and the larger ones are especially popular and tend to sell out first.

Nishine Shrine and Takahata Tenmangu Shrine are located in Iizaka Town, Fukushima Prefecture .

Takahata Tenmangu Shrine, where the Usokae Festival is held, is held within Nishine Shrine in Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture.

Nishine Shrine is dedicated to two people, Zenbei Koga Shigeyoshi and Ietada Sato Shinemon, who contributed to the region by excavating a weir called "Nishine Weir" to provide water for rice fields during the pioneering era of the Date and Shinobu regions. This is a shrine dedicated to

On the other hand, Takahata Tenmangu Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the aforementioned Sugawara no Michizane. It is also popular as Takahata's Tenjin shrine. In addition to healing diseases and warding off difficulties, he is also famous as the god of learning. Many examinees and their families visit the shrine to pray for good luck charms, pencils, and other items.

There are also power spots within the shrine grounds, such as the ``Passing the Cow'' that prays for healing in the area you stroke, and the ``Full Gate,'' where your wishes will come true if you pass through.

How to access Usokae Festival

Takahata Tenmangu Shrine can be accessed by car or train.

By car, it takes about 10 minutes after exiting the Fukushima Iizaka Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway. However, since this is a festival that attracts a large number of people every year, it is expected that even the temporary parking lot will be crowded. Be sure to visit with plenty of time.

By train, use the Fukushima Kotsu Iizaka Line from JR Fukushima Station. After getting off at Iizaka Onsen Station, you will arrive in about 10 minutes on foot. It might be a good idea to take a walk while enjoying the quaint townscape of Iizaka Onsen.

＜Recommendations for Iizaka Onsen are introduced in this article.＞

There are also special accommodation plans for the Usokae Festival.

Iizaka Town is a hot spring town with many accommodation options. For this reason, some hotels and inns have prepared special plans for the Usokae Festival, which usually attracts a large number of people. Furthermore, there is also a plan where you can reserve a wooden carved Sagittarius and be sure to pick it up at the front desk.

Getting stuck in a traffic jam, losing a bird, etc. It's a nice plan that can prevent you from being disappointed even though you've come a long way. It is especially recommended for those who want to secure a Sagittarius and enjoy a peaceful visit to the shrine.

Iizaka Onsen official website: https://iizaka.com/

INFORMATION

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

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summary

In this article, we introduced the Takahata Tenmangu Shrine Usokae Festival in Iizaka-cho, Fukushima City.

The desire to avoid illness and disaster, and wish for health and peace has never changed. Many people continue to visit the Takahata Tenmangu Shrine Usokae Festival every year in search of divine blessings. The cute and popular lie bird amulet is said to turn bad things into lies and turn them into good things. Why not visit and pray for a year of happiness?

Iizaka is also a hot spring town, so please enjoy the hot springs to soothe the fatigue of your travels.