Kebesu Festival

ケベス祭

A fire festival on the night of 14 October at Kushiku Shrine, also called Iwakura Shrine, in Kunimi, Kunisaki, Ōita. A figure in a strange mask, the Kebesu, charges again and again at the bonfire in the shrine grounds while men in white, the tōba, hold him back. At the end the tōba run through the grounds with burning ferns, showering the worshippers with sparks. 14 October every year.

14 October 2027

RegularWorked out from the organiser’s fixed schedule.

345 days away

Every year, 14 October

Future dates: 14 October 2027 · 14 October 2028 · 14 October 2029

Origin

Kushiku Shrine is the guardian shrine of the Kushiku district. It is said to have received a share of the spirit of Usa Hachiman Shrine in 889, and until the early Meiji period it was called Iwakura Shrine or Iwakura Hachiman. The Kebesu Festival is the eve of the shrine’s autumn festival, the kugatsu-matsuri, whose main day is 15 October; it used to be held on the 14th day of the ninth lunar month. Its origins are not known. The rites are carried out by the miyazuki families, who hold their roles by inheritance, and by the tōba-gumi, one of the ten groups of Kushiku, which take turns year by year. In 2000 it was selected by the national government as an intangible folk cultural property for which records should be made.

What to look for

The Kebesu charges again and again at a bonfire guarded by the tōba in white. Led by flutes, drums and gongs, the priests and the Kebesu walk in procession clockwise around the grounds, and each time round the Kebesu, a forked pole hung with a straw bundle on his shoulder, rushes at the bonfire beside the hall of worship. One by one, men of the tōba-gumi grapple with him and push him back into the procession, and this struggle is one of the things to watch. On the ninth charge the Kebesu breaks through and scatters the fire; the tōba then spear burning ferns on poles and race around the grounds, showering the worshippers with sparks, which are said to keep you in good health. Finally the Kebesu strikes the straw bundle on the ground, and the sound it makes tells the fortune of the year.

How to watch

The Kebesu Festival is a rite of Kushiku Shrine. The Kebesu is chosen by lot the day before, from among that year’s tōba-gumi. For several days beforehand the men of the tōba-gumi keep strict purification: they do not share fire with others, eat no meat and purify themselves every day. The sparks are showered on onlookers too.

If you go

The festival takes place in the grounds of Kushiku Shrine from the evening of 14 October. Sparks fall on the onlookers too, so wear clothes that do not catch fire easily, and a hat.

Where

Kushiku Shrine (Iwakura Shrine)

Kunisaki, Ōita

Open in maps

Sources

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