Menzai’s nenbutsu event entrusts prayers to drive away epidemics to large prayer beads and chanting
Menzai District Hyakumanben Nenbutsu
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Location
- Three crossroads in the Menzai District of 4-chome, Umeda-cho
- Area
- Gunma Prefecture・Kiryu City(From Tokyo: approx. 50 min–1 h · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Wishes behind the festival
- Last updated
- 2026/11/11
This folk religious event, centered on prayer beads and nenbutsu chanting, has been passed down in the Menzai District of Umeda-cho, Kiryu City. It is thought to have been carried on since the Edo period, and has been associated with prayers to drive away epidemics.
About Menzai District Hyakumanben Nenbutsu
The Menzai District Hyakumanben Nenbutsu is a Kiryu City-designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property passed down in the Menzai District of 4-chome, Umeda-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture.
Hyakumanben Nenbutsu, in which people chant nenbutsu for rebirth in the Pure Land, has been passed down as a local religious practice; in Menzai, it has been performed as an event to pray for epidemics to be driven out of the village.
Kiryu City’s information states that the event is currently suspended.
Festival highlights
A distinctive feature is the way young and old alike from the district pass around a large strand of prayer beads, spread out over an area about the size of an eight-tatami-mat room, to the rhythm of a gong and .
They move the beads while chanting “Namu Amida Butsu,” then end by pulling hard on them and driving them out beyond the village.
It is said that people once performed ritual bathing in the Menzai River and visited each household.
Menzai’s nenbutsu event entrusts prayers to drive away epidemics to large prayer beads and chanting
What to expect
According to tradition, people gather at three crossroads, where young and old alike from the district surround a large strand of prayer beads.
They chant nenbutsu to the rhythm of a gong and taiko as they pass the beads around. At the end, they pull hard on the beads and drive them out beyond the village.
It is said that in the past, people visited every household from morning until night.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Menzai District, 4-chome, Umeda-cho, Kiryu City / three crossroads: Hikoma-guchi, toward Sano; Naka-no-sawa, deeper in Menzai; and in front of Koshin-sama, at the entrance from Umeda
- By car
30 minutes by car from JR Kiryu Station
- Parking
None
公衆トイレ：なし
Address Menzai District, 4-chome, Umeda-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture
Tips for your visit
As this event has been preserved locally as a religious observance, be sure to obtain permission from the preservation society or local people involved before watching or taking photographs.
It is important to follow local guidance and the directions of people involved, so as not to disrupt everyday life in the area.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Gunma Prefecture / Kiryu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Nearby attractions
大川美術館
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桐生が岡公園
群馬県桐生市にある公園
桐生天満宮
群馬県桐生市にある神社
絹撚記念館
群馬県桐生市にある旧桐生撚糸会社の事務所
写真：photo: Qurren ( talk ) Taken with Canon IXY 430F (Digital IXUS 245 HS) / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source ·Origins and History of Menzai District Hyakumanben Nenbutsu
Hyakumanben Nenbutsu is said to have originated with one million nenbutsu recitations performed at the imperial court in 1331 by Zen’a Kūen of Chion-in Temple in Kyoto. It is thought to have spread through Gunma Prefecture from the Edo period onward.
It is unclear when the practice began in the Menzai District, but it is said to have been carried on since the Edo period.
Linked to prayers to drive epidemics out of the village, it was once a major village event that included ritual bathing and visits to every household.
Official information
Kiryu City website, “Menzai District Hyakumanben Nenbutsu”
Menzai District Hyakumanben Nenbutsu at a Glance
The Menzai District Hyakumanben Nenbutsu is an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property passed down in the Menzai District of 4-chome, Umeda-cho, Kiryu City.
Tradition recounts that people pass around a large strand of prayer beads to the rhythm of a gong and taiko, chant nenbutsu, and finally pull the beads out beyond the village.
It is thought to have been carried on since the Edo period and has been linked to prayers to drive away epidemics.
The event is currently suspended.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/11/11
