F E S T I V A L ／ FEST-180

Akaidake Yakushi Doll Memorial Service (Ningyo Kuyo)

閼伽井嶽薬師 人形供養祭あかいだけやくし にんぎょうくようさい

Held each year on the last Sunday of May in the grounds of Jofukuji temple (Akaidake Yakushi) in Iwaki, Fukushima, this is a doll memorial event (ningyo kuyo). Dolls and stuffed toys that have finished their role are honored with a Buddhist memorial service and released through a ritual burning (otakiage), giving the community a respectful way to part with them. In 2026 it is held as the fifth edition on Sunday, May 31, from 9:30 to 15:00, with two burnings scheduled at 11:00 and 13:30. Dolls can be brought in advance or on the day, and even glass-cased dolls are accepted. The grounds also host a raffle and food stalls, and the event is live-streamed on YouTube, reflecting its character as a recently established, contemporary occasion run by the local group Konomare rather than a centuries-old temple rite. The venue, Jofukuji, is an ancient Shingon (Chisan school) temple said to have been founded in 734 and given its main halls in 806, enshrining Yakushi Nyorai (the Healing Buddha). On its grounds is the sacred spring Akai, linked in legend to the monk Kobo Daishi.