The Santera Mairi is a traditional event that is held on January 15th every year in the city of Hida, Gifu Prefecture.
Santera Mairi, or “Three Temple Pilgrimage,” is a winter festival that has continued for over 200 years. For this one day, the streets of Furukawacho breathe an enchanting air as they are lit with tranquil candles before people begin their trip to the three temples: Enkoji, Shinshuji and Honkoji.
During the Meiji and Taisho periods, groups of of young girls passed through the treacherous snowy Nomugi Pass which runs between Nagano and Gifu Prefecture to reach the silk mills in Shinshuu. When it was time for them return home for the New Year, they would put on their best clothes and make a pilgrimage to the Setogawa Canal to meet with boys. Since then, it has become known as a pilgrimage for successful love.
On January 15th, the day of the Santera Mairi, it’s a quiet period and the area blanketed with deep snow. Lots of people bustle for the pilgrimage, the town is filled with women in traditional dress, and the streets are lined with enchanting candles.
Two-meter high “Heavy Snow Candles” are placed around Furukawa, and along the Setogawa Canal women light a thousand candles to pray for successful love. Candles weighing 13kg are offered at each temple and lit.
The gentle light of the candles wraps the town with a serene atmosphere, all made possible by the town’s candle shop “Mishima Warousoku.”
Mishima Warousoku is one of only 10 shops in Japan that specializes in making ‘warousoku’ candles by hand. They create rare candles for the Santera Mairi tied to tradition.
Another true pleasure of the event is the food and the food stalls selling special products which are a huge boom every year. The town is packed with stalls selling Hida style food such as char grilled with salt, Hida beef croquettes, local goheimochi which are skewered rice cakes served with soy sauce and miso, chicken karaage, and more. This year’s event will also see a rice sampling booth that won the International Contest on Rice Taste Evaluation. You’ll have the opportunity to experience the taste of local rice from Hida that is praised all over Japan.
There will also be a women’s rental service for Sunday bests. The event will also hold “Egoma Week” for the very first time from January 14th-21st where meals will be served with Hida egoma, or Japanese perilla, a type of plant. Hida’s local special egoma is an ingredient gaining attention right now for its brain-boosting and anti-aging effects. You can try original egoma dishes from participating restaurants.
Challenge yourself to the Santera Mairi in Gifu and increase the success of your romantic relationship.
Santera Mairi
Location: Furukawa-cho, Hida-shi, Gifu Prefecture
Date: Monday January 15, 2018
Contact: 0577-74-1192
Website: https://www.hida-kankou.jp/santera/ Stalls (festival area): 12:00-21:00
1000 Candles Lighting (along Setogawa Canal) – 16:00-21:00
Snow Candle Lighting (town high streets) – from 16:00
Mishima Warousoku
Address: 3-12 Ichinomachi, Fukukawa-cho, Hida-shi
Contact: 0577-73-4109
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Night Viewing Details: https://www.kurodani.jp/lightup/
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