Kasama Akutai Matsuri – The Cursing Ritual

Kasama Akutai Matsuri is a one-day Shinto event that turns cursing into a holy ritual. To cleanse themselves of a year's sins and misfortune, spectators loudly shout curses at 13 men dressed as tengu (long-nosed mountain goblins) who carry coin and rice-cake offerings along a 4-km procession route. The same crowd scrambles and fights for those offerings, because locals believe whoever grabs one stays healthy for the whole year.

The oral tradition says this custom started a few centuries ago. Back then, the local feudal ruler gave villagers one day a year to curse and complain freely about taxes and officials without any punishment.

Google Maps location of the main event activities can be found here.

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