A kind ogre wishes for happiness ~Oni oi (Evil Spirit Chasing )Ceremony at Miki 三木の鬼追い式

Date; The third Sunday in January each year
Location; Omiya Hachiman shrine 2-19-1 Honmachi, Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture
Access; Approximately a 10-minute walk from ‘Miki’ Station on the Kobe Electric Railway From Sannomiya, in central Kobe, take any line and transfer to the Kobe Electric Railway; the trip takes about an hour.

Miki city official https://www.city.miki.lg.jp/soshiki/33/2978.html
Omiya Hachiman shrine Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/DT0HyiPkzmb/

This article is based on 21th, January, 2024.

Table of contents

Kind and Good Oni Who Spread Happiness

Sannomiya is the heart of Kobe and is conveniently located just one stop away from Shin-Kobe Station on the Shinkansen (bullet train line). From there, you can take the Hankyu, Hanshin, or municipal subway lines to reach Miki in about an hour.

The Demon-Chasing Ceremony was held twice on this day. It seems there have been times in the past when it was held three times, but in recent years, two times has been the norm. First, after receiving a purification ritual at the main hall, the demons take the stage set up to the side.

This ceremony is jointly organized by Omiya Hachiman Shrine and Gachirin-ji Temple.

The Oni are red and black; although several of them appear, none of them are scary—they all have somewhat goofy expressions, reminiscent of cute mascots.

They look like they might be making small talk…

Hey, hey, you over there—don’t you dare slack off!

They aren’t gathered just to make small talk; instead, they march in step with chants, carrying torches.

Since the mask isn’t something one puts over the face but rather a type that completely covers the head, that might be what makes it even funnier.

Oni Dance Continues

Along the way, the Oni pound mochi, which is later thrown to the audience.

There were two sessions that day: one starting at 10:00 a.m. and another at 2:00 p.m. Each session lasted about an hour. Could the children have gotten their hands on some mochi?

Miki is a former castle town

Miki was once a town that flourished around Miki Castle. Faint remnants of the castle’s ruins can still be seen at the site. The sign features a character-style design that symbolizes modern Japan.