The Spring Equinox Festival, celebrated on the Tsuchinoe day nearest to the Spring Equinox, is a cherished festivity expressing gratitude to the deity of the earth for a fruitful harvest. This occasion is marked by the Oshioi-tori ritual, where participants gather the hallowed sand from Hakozaki Beach, a sacred area of the Hakozaki Shrine, to bring back to their homes, venerating it as a sanctified object. In Hakata, locals adhere to a tradition of placing this consecrated sand (Masago) in a bamboo basket at their home’s entrance, sprinkling it upon themselves when entering or leaving as a supplication for protection against calamities. Furthermore, during the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, it is customary to collect this sacred sand from Hakozaki Beach, invoking the smooth and safe progression of the festival’s ceremonies.
• 3/25 (Mon.)
• 5:00~17:00
• Free entry
• Oshioi-hama (Hakozaki-hama, along Route 3) *special parking available
• 4-21 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
• https://www.hakozakigu.or.jp/news/381.htm
