Omizutori お水取り
Omizutori (お水取り), or the annual sacred water-drawing festival, is a Japanese Buddhist festival that takes place in the Nigatsu-dō of Tōdai-ji, Nara, Japan. The festival is the final rite in observance of the two-week-long Shuni-e ceremony. This ceremony is to cleanse the people of their sins as well as to usher in the spring of the new year. Once the Omizutori is completed, the cherry blossoms have started blooming and spring has arrived.
| Location | Nara (奈良県) |
|---|---|
| When | February · March (Winter — exact dates change every year) |
| Type | Dharma assembly |
| Official website | http://www.todaiji.or.jp/contents/function/02-03syunie3.html |
Planning to go? The Omizutori is held in February–March, but the exact dates, times and any entry fees are set year by year. Check the official website for this year's schedule before you travel.
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Basic data from Wikidata (CC0). Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), linked below. Details may change; the festival's official announcements are the authoritative source.