Aki Matsuri Fall festival at Tanukidani-san Fudo-in Temple in Kyoto
In Japan, the changing of the seasons is celebrated with rituals, usually those that focus on praying to cleanse oneself of past wrongs and to pray for blessings in the future. Tanukidani-san Fudo-in Temple celebrates its Fall Festival called Aki Matsuri in early November. The Aki Matsuri involves visitors writing their wishes on wooden tablets (gomagi) and monks who practice a form of mountain asceticism called Shugendo throwing those wooden tablets into a sacred bonfire (goma) as witnessed in the videos. With the sound of Buddhist sutras in the air, the wishes of the participants are blessed as they are engulfed in the fire. I heard about Shugendo, a blending of Shinto and Buddhist practices, from Alena, the mountain guide that I worked with on my Women’s Pilgrimages. This blending of Shintoism and Buddhism is particularly evident at Tanukidani-san Fudo-in temple. Just the name of the temple reflects that: Tanuki is the name for the Japanese raccoon dog and is deeply embedded in the Shinto folklore while Fudo Myyo is an important deity in Shingon buddhism as a wrathful protector of the Buddhist law. To get to the temple, you have to walk 250 steps. On most of the steps a small statue of a tanuki has been placed. The main temple enshrines a statue of Fudo Myyo in a cave. There is a waterfall for the practice of Takigyo, an ancient ascetic ritual where practitioners stand under freezing, pounding waterfalls to purify body and mind, achieving spiritual clarity and connection with nature by enduring intense sensory shock, chanting mantras, and confronting internal challenges, leading to feelings of rebirth and mental reset. It's a core part of Shugendo. Alena has written extensively about Shugendo and how as a young woman from Eastern Germany, she came to become a practitioner. You can find her writings in a set of articles titled Shugendo Diaries. Attending Aki Matsuri at this temple was the third time I visited the grounds. During the previous two visits, I had been mostly on my own or with a couple of other visitors. The fire festival made the place and Shugendo come to life in a spectacular way and allowed me to further appreciate the integration of the two traditions. Enjoy my amateur videos!
SKY ABOVE
Earth below
kizuki: tanukis or raccoon dogs statues
To read mor about tanukis, check out my May 2025 newsletter then watch the studio Ghibli movie Pom Poko.
In January, after the devastating fires in Los Angeles, I wrote about Fudo Myoo and how to use the strong and fierce energy of anger in beneficial, protective, ways.