Tokyo Tama Tourist Site

Located just south of the Koshu Kaido on Daigaku-dori the city’s main street stretching straight south from JR Kunitachi Station Yabo Tenmangu Shrine hosts the “Teiryou Festival” (also known as *Okagara-bi*) every year on November 3. This time, let’s take a closer look at this powerful and fiery tradition.

What is the Teiryou Festival?

The Teiryou Festival is a spectacular fire ritual. At its center stands a tall *gohei* a Shinto offering to the gods surrounded by bundles of thin branches called *soda*. Around these bundles, large piles of firewood are stacked to form two mounds, which are then set ablaze.

As the flames rise several meters high, the sight is both majestic and awe-inspiring. To ensure safety, the local fire brigade remains on standby throughout the event.

At 6:00 p.m., after the Shinto priest recites prayers and performs purification rites, the fires are lit. The crackling sound quickly grows into roaring flames that illuminate the shrine grounds. Participants pray for good health and protection from illness, believing that warming themselves by this sacred fire will prevent colds.

A Fiery Tradition Continuing for Over 840 Years

The origins of this event date back to 1181 (the first year of the Y$014Dwa era). When the deity of Tenjin Shrine was transferred from its original site on Tenjinjima (in present-day Fuchu City) to its current location, parishioners are said to have burned leftover wood from the shrine’s construction to welcome the deity. Amazingly, this custom has continued for over 840 years.

Another fascinating ritual held on the same day is the “Uso-kae Shinji”, or “Liar-Bird Exchange Ceremony.” Participants exchange small wooden “*uso* birds,” purchased at the shrine, with other worshippers. This act is said to transform the lies one has spoken and the unpleasant things one has experienced into good fortune.

At Yabo Tenmangu, shrine maidens (*miko*) facilitate these exchanges, and the ceremony is held in conjunction with the Okagara Fire.

Even if the daytime weather is mild, the evenings in early November can be chilly making the warmth of the sacred fires all the more inviting.

Photos courtesy of Takako Shigegaki

Event Period	Early November
Access	3-minute walk from JR Yaho Station Approx. 10-minute bus ride from JR Kunitachi Station, Keio Fuchu Station, or Seiseki-Sakuragaoka Station
Website	http://www.yabotenmangu.or.jp/ This article was brought to you by the editorial team of “Another TOKYO TAMA”, operated by the Tama Tourism Promotion Council, which provides sightseeing information for Kunitachi City and the greater Tama area.
Discover more about the Tama region	https://at-tama.tokyo/lang_en/ Photos courtesy of Takako Shigegaki