Experience a unique Japanese New Year tradition at Hakozaki Shrine on December 31st with the mochitsuki event. Mochitsuki involves the traditional pounding of rice to create mochi (rice cakes). At this festival, the mochi are distinctively shaped like namako (sea cucumbers). This tradition dates back to a fisherman from Hakozaki who, pressed for time, offered a sea cucumber instead of a rice cake during the New Year’s birth celebrations for Emperor Ojin. Since then, fishermen from Hakozaki have gathered annually at the shrine to jointly pound mochi flour, continuing this distinctive and historical tradition.
• 12/31 (Sun.)
• 19:00~
• Hakozaki Shrine
• 1-22-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
• https://www.hakozakigu.or.jp/omatsuri/#winter2
• https://www.instagram.com/hakozakigu.official/
