【Water Splash Festival: Emukae-cho, Sasebo】 【水かけ地蔵祭り:江迎町】

Have you ever seen “Water Splash Festival” in Emukae-cho? It is held on annually August 23, 24. Kids carry “Mokucho-Jizo” (carved wooden guardian deity of children) from Jufukuji temple carrying “Mikoshi” (a portable shrine) on their shoulders to Karei-river, and then they splash water on it. Once it gets drenched, Kids parade in town with portable shrine on their shoulders. People in each household splash water on kids and pray for good health.

Legend has it that more than 500 years ago, when epidemics spread in that area, kids carried a carved wooden guardian deity for children out of the temple and played with it splashing water.

Then diseases were cured in no time. It is said that became the beginning of the festival. Now the festival is well known as a main event of “Sen-toro Matsuri” (Thousand lanterns Festival).

※For more information:

https://www.sasebo99.com/event/61859/

江迎町の水かけ地蔵祭りは、毎年8月23日、24日に行われる行事で、寿福寺にある木彫地蔵を子供たちが神輿に担いで嘉例川へ運び、元気よく水をかけます。その後、神輿を担いだ子供たちは町を練り歩き、各家庭では子供たちに水をかけ、無病息災を祈願します。昔、伝染病が流行した時、子供たちが地蔵様を持ち出して水浴びをさせて遊んだところ、たちまち病気が治ったことが祭りの始まりと伝えられています。「千灯籠まつり」の中のメインイベントとしても広く知られています。

#sasebo #佐世保 #echan #Eチャン #sentoromatsuri #千灯籠まつり #mizukakejizo #水かけ地蔵祭り

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