Exploring Usuki’s Spiritual Heritage: Setsubun at Myokenji Temple and Community Events

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Usuki: A Town Where Living Faiths Shape Everyday Life

Usuki city is a quiet castle town in Oita prefecture where Shinto, Buddhism, and Christianity have coexisted for centuries. This shapes seasonal rhythms, community events, and the town’s spiritual landscape.

Among its many temples, Myokenji is one of the places where the town’s spiritual life can be felt. Its head priest also revived Jurinji—the temple where Sengoku‑period warlord Otomo Sorin, who once ruled nearly two‑thirds of Kyushu, took Buddhist vows—returning it to its original site after 432 years.

Experiencing Setsubun at Myokenji Temple

On February 3, 2026, the day of Setsubun—Japan’s symbolic shift from winter to spring—I visited Myokenji Temple, a Nichiren Buddhist temple with deep ties to Kyoto’s Honnoji Temple.

Inside Myokenji’s main hall, the Setsubun ceremony unfolded with calm and reverence.

Prayers for good fortune, business prosperity, recovery from illness, and other personal wishes were offered. Purification rites followed with steady drumbeats, while the chanting of the Lotus Sutra was conducted, accompanied by the gentle rhythm of a mokugyo that filled the hall with a deep, resonant energy. Roasted soybeans—believed to ward off misfortune—were offered as part of the ritual.

The hall also offered charming spiritual items:

• umbrella‑shaped fortune slips

• water fortunes that reveal messages when dipped in water

• hydrangea amulets

• limited‑edition Setsubun goshuin

Each reflects the temple’s creativity and its desire to welcome visitors warmly.

Community Events Open to All

Myokenji is deeply rooted in the local community. Beyond major ceremonies such as New Year’s services, equinox rituals, and Obon memorials, the temple hosts events open to both residents and travelers.

* Monthly Chanting Gatherings *

Held on the 1st and 18th at 11:00 and 19:00, these sessions invite participants to chant together, dedicating merit to ancestors, disaster prevention, and world peace. The shared rhythm often brings clarity and emotional grounding.

* Ikebana Experience – Ikenobo School *

Visitors can join weekly lessons or arrange a private session with one day’s notice. Rooted in offerings at Kyoto’s Rokkakudo Temple, the Ikenobo philosophy teaches that “even withered flowers possess beauty,” encouraging appreciation of subtle elegance and impermanence.

* Hydrangea Festival in June *

Known locally as an “Ajisai Temple,” Myokenji becomes a sea of hydrangeas each June. The festival features blooming gardens, live music, local food and sake, handmade crafts, and family‑friendly activities such as traditional fish scooping. It is one of Usuki’s most beloved seasonal events.

A Town That Nurtures the Heart

In Usuki, religion is lived quietly, shared openly, and integrated into daily life. This is a town where history breathes through temples and shrines, and where community and spirituality coexist naturally.

For those seeking a place where the heart and spirit can grow simply by being present, Usuki offers that rare kind of journey.