Daito Ohara Mizukake Festival

This festival originated as a combined prayer and public awareness event for fire prevention, in response to the Great Fire of Meireki, which occurred on March 2, 1657. The fire broke out at Honmyoji Temple in Maruyama, Hongo, Edo (present-day Sugamo, Toshima Ward, Tokyo) and destroyed an estimated 60-70% of the city, including the Edo Castle keep, leaving the capital in ruins. That day was designated an unlucky day (yakubi), and the festival was established accordingly.

Over time, it also became a ritual for those facing their yakudoshi (unlucky ages) to cleanse misfortune. Today, the event centres on rituals for dispelling bad luck, prayers for safety, and increasingly, wishes for good health and personal fulfillment in the year ahead.

Held annually in the harsh cold of February, the festival is known for its intense spectacle: men of unlucky ages run nearly 500 meters through Ohara’s main street, while spectators throw icy water on them. Because of this dramatic scene, the festival is often called one of Japan’s most unusual (kisai) festivals.

Having been passed down since the Edo period, the event was officially recognised as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property by Iwate Prefecture in April 2017. It remains one of the region’s most iconic winter traditions.