| DATE: | February 23, 2007 From 9:00 to 17:00 |
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| PLACE: | Daigo-ji Temple, 22 Daigo Higashiouji-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto |
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| DIRECTION: | 10-minute walk from Subway Tozai Line Daigo Station | |
| TEL: | 81-75-571-0002 | |
| ADMISSION: | Free |
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| TEXT: | Daigoji Temple, a World Heritage Site, is the main temple of the Daigo sect of the Shingon school of Buddhism. The temple covers approximately 6.6 million square meters across Mt. Kasatori, which lies to the east of Fushimi. Held annually on February 23, Godairikison Ninno-e is a grand memorial service with over 1,100 years of history. Since the memorial service is given to praise the virtues of Godai Myouou (five great Myouou), and pray for the stability of the nation and prosperity of the people, it is also known as “Godairiki-san” (five great powers) of Daigo-ji. The event attracts 70 to 80 thousand people every year. “Godairikison Miei,” a talisman distributed only on this day of the year, has been sought after as protection against misfortune and theft since the Heian Period. In addition to the memorial service, a contest of strength is held where people compete to see how long they can hold a huge kagami-mochi, a special New Year’s rice cake. In the women's contest, the rice cake weighs 90 kg, while in the men's, it is 150 kg. Participants dedicate their power to the temple and pray for sound health and a strong body. The winners receive kagami-mochi, while all participants receive small rice cakes.
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