Nara City Tourism Association

This memorial service honors the virtues of the late Kamakura period monk Kakujo. The event begins with the offering of fans to celebrate his virtues, inspired by Kakujo's admonition against killing mosquitoes, stating, "Giving one's blood is also a bodhisattva's act." After the service, heart-shaped fans are tossed from the drum tower to worshippers at 3:00 p.m. The fans, known as "Hosen," are believed to ward off illness and evil spirits.

(Photo courtesy of Toshodaiji Temple)

*The ceremony for 2025 will be held as follows. For more information, please visit the official Toshodaiji Temple website.

9:00 - Distribution of tickets for participation in the fan-throwing (last year limited to the first 200 people).

3:00 p.m. - Fan-throwing ceremony  

*Participation tickets are required to take part. For safety reasons, participation is limited to individuals aged 20 to 60 who are in good health.

- Fan-throwing lottery tickets will be distributed to all visitors on the day of the event, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., on the temple grounds. The lottery results will be announced at 3:00 p.m.

- The schedule may change depending on the circumstances. For more information, please visit the official Toshodaiji Temple website.