Osaki Hachimangu Shrine Matsutaki Festival, one of the largest New Year's send-off events in Japan

Among the donto festivals held throughout the prefecture, the most famous one is the Matsutaka Festival at Osaki Hachimangu Shrine in Sendai City. It is one of the largest New Year's events in the country, attracting around 100,000 people each year. It is also known for its wide variety of stalls, selling lucky charms such as daruma dolls and rakes, as well as warm foods such as handmade gourmet food and ramen and udon noodles.

The highlight of the festival is the ''naked pilgrimage'' where you worship at the sacred fire. It is said that the origin of this shrine is that sake brewers who were preparing sake during the bitter cold of winter would once visit the shrine to pray for the safety of brewing and ginjo.Visitors hold a bell in their right hand, a lantern in their left hand, wrap themselves in white headbands or white stripes, and hold a piece of paper called ''containing paper'' in their mouths to avoid speaking in private. The sight of thousands of people visiting the shrine from all over the city brings a dignified sense of tension to the cold winter air. In 2005, it was designated as an intangible folk cultural property by Sendai City.

An important winter event in Sendai, held in a solemn atmosphere. Please take this opportunity to experience it.