ANNUAL EVENTS

SHUSHOU-E

Shushou-e is a Buddhist service that has been performed since the Nara Period,
and the Kichijo Keka service is held with Kichijoten (goddess of fortune, happiness and prosperity) as its principal image.
Keka is a Buddhist service that is held to reflect on one’s conscious
and unconscious sins and to pray for universal peace, plentiful crops, and good luck.
Originally, hatsumoude (the traditional New Year’s visit to a temple or a shrine) was an event
that involved worshipping Kichijoten at the start of a new year while reflecting on the events
of the previous year, praying for a happy new year, and determining one’s way of life.

Along with the National Treasure Yakushi Nyorai statue, two paintings are enshrined as principal images during this event: a painting of Kichijoten (national treasure) from the Nara Period on January 1–3 and a painting of Kichijoten from the Heisei Period on January 4–15.
Shushou-e begins with the Ominugui event on December 29.
Ominugui is an event where monks use a white cloth called jofu to clean and purify statues of the Buddha. To prepare for the New Year, the statues are cleaned in order starting with the Yakushi Triad in the Main Hall, the Miroku Triad in the Great Lecture Hall, and then the Sho Kanzeon Bosatsu statue in the Toindo.
O-shakyo is done overnight from the evening of New Year’s Eve to the morning of New Year’s Day. During this event, we calmly look back at the year and reflect on ourselves.
Joya no Kane
At Yakushiji Temple, on the night of New Year’s Eve, visitors are also allowed to ring the Joya no Kane (New Year’s Eve bell) after the monks have recited sutras.
In the Main Hall, we pray to our principal image, the Yakushi Triad (national treasure), and to Kichijoten for a healthy year. Many people visit the temple to offer prayers for the New Year’s.
In the Main Hall, we pray to our principal image, the Yakushi Triad (national treasure), and to Kichijoten for a healthy year. Many people visit the temple to offer prayers for the New Year’s.
January 1–3 Shushou-e Nitchu Service Prayers for good health are given every 30 minutes at the Main Hall.
Howa
At Yakushiji Temple, you can listen to the howa (lectures) given by the chief abbot and many other monks.
Good-luck charms and ehomamori (an amulet that invites good luck) are available.

SHUNI-E
(HANA-E-SHIKI)

Shuni-e is held in spring, and it is an event where ten monks called Rengyoshu pray for universal peace, national prosperity, and lives of joyful affluence for everyone.
Period: March 25–31

Yakushiji Temple’s Shuni-e is called “Hana-e-shiki” because ten types of artificial flowers (hana) are offered to our principal image, and this event is commonly known as “an event that signals the coming of spring to Nara.”
March 23 Ominugui
Ominugui for statues of the Buddha is done by the Rengyoshu who are present to perform their duties at the Hana-e-shiki. After the entire Main Hall has been purified, it is then decorated with vibrantly colored artificial flowers in preparation for the service.
Approximately 1,600 flowers made with Japanese washi paper will be offered at the Hana-e-shiki.
Currently, there are two families who have been making these paper flowers for generations. The flowers are handmade one by one using paper dyed with herbs and other materials.
At the Hana-e-shiki, a total of six services (Shoya, Hanya, Goya, Jinjo, Nitchu and Nichimotsu), which are collectively known as Rokuji-no-Gyobo, are held in one day. The ten Rengyoshu monks hold the services without resting.
Monks offering prayers using gozencho (prayer notebooks)
At the Hana-e-shiki, your prayers are relayed to the Buddha by the Rengyoshu.
A Shushi is a person who is in charge of the rituals of Tantric Buddhism, and he performs a ritual to create a barrier that protects the hall so that the prayers of the Daidoshi (highest officiating monk responsible of the whole ceremony) will not be interrupted by external enemies. When the lights are turned down and the hall becomes darker, the loud sounds of conch shells, drums and bells fill the hall. The Shushi then appears with a sword in each hand and runs at full speed inside the hall. This is a ritual to slash the evils in the universe with the swords. Services like this are held for a week.
March 25 Saito Daigoma
After prayers are given by burning Gomagi (wooden sticks on which wishes have been written) in front of the Fudo Hall, the Hiwatari-shiki (fire-walking ceremony) is held.
A variety of dedication ceremonies are held during this period.
The traced sutras offered to the temple during the Hana-e-shiki period will be read by the Rengyoshu during the services, and special prayers will be given.
March 31 Oni-oi-shiki
The Oni-oi-shiki is a ceremony in which Bishamonten (god of warfare and punisher of evildoers) uses the power endowed to him by Yakushi Nyorai to calm rampaging oni (demons). Oni symbolize earthly desires, and this ceremony is a visualization of the intention to reflect on the sins one has confessed in the Yakushi Keka service and amend one’s way of life.