The biggest event in Sayama, Osaka
The city's largest event is held at Sayama Pond, the oldest man-made pond in Japan. A variety of events are held over two days, including a light ring display, music, and a market.

In addition to the public unveiling of the principal image of the temple, the Nyoirin Kannon statue, which is said to be the greatest work of esoteric Buddhist art from the Heian period, there will also be a special exhibition of important cultural properties such as the large silk-painted Zuikyu statue.

This is a memorial service for Lord Okuno, also known as Kusunoki Masashige, a Southern Court military commander with ties to Minamikawachi who was active during the Nanboku-cho period. It is an event held every year on the Sunday before or after May 25th, the day Lord Masashige died in the Battle of Kobe Minatogawa. Within the grounds of Kanshinji Temple is Nakain, where Lord Masashige studied as a boy and which is also the family temple of the Kusunoki clan. Further back in the temple grounds is the tomb where Lord Kusunoki Masashige's head was laid.

The three statues in the main hall (Mahavairocana, Acala, and Gozanze) that are over 2 meters tall will be on special display in April, and the highly original "Sun, Moon, and Four Seasons Landscape Screen" will be on special display in May.

Photo (1st): Triad [National Treasure]
Photo (2): Sun, Moon, and Four Seasons Landscape Screen [National Treasure]

A grand memorial service is held at Amanosan Kongoji Temple on April 21st (March 21st on the lunar calendar), the death anniversary of Kobo Daishi Kukai. On the day, a procession of monks, parishioners, and young children, led by a mountain ascetic blowing a conch horn, proceeds from the main temple to the temple complex. In the second half of the service, offerings for the Hyakumi no Onjiki (a hundred tastes and drinks) are brought into the Goei-do Hall, which becomes the site of the festival. Once the service is over, everyone returns to the main temple by the same route they came. Hyakumi no Onjiki is a folk event that takes place during a memorial service, in which various offerings handmade by local people are offered to the portrait of Kobo Daishi Kukai. After the service, a "large rice cake throwing" is held in the temple grounds, which attracts many people every year.

The wooden standing statue of Shaka Nyorai, which was designated a national treasure before the war and is now an important cultural property following the enactment of the Cultural Properties Protection Act, will be open to the public without prior reservations as part of the after-sales campaign.

Enmei-ji Temple is said to have originated when Kobo Daishi carved and enshrined a Jizo Bodhisattva, and is also famous as a spot for viewing autumn leaves. In particular, the giant maple tree, said to be 1,000 years old, is known as the "Sunset Maple" for its beauty as it shines in the setting sun, and has been designated a prefectural natural monument. On May 5th, Enmei-ji Temple holds the Aoba Festival, a memorial service celebrating the birth of Kobo Daishi Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. On the day of the Aoba Festival, the doors of the main hall and Jizo Hall, which are usually closed, are opened. The temple grounds are also bustling with activity, with markets and bazaars held within the temple grounds.

A celadon phoenix-eared vase with the inscription "Mansei" will be on special display. It is believed to have been fired at the Longquan kiln in Zhejiang Province during the Southern Song dynasty and imported, and the "Kasen Utaawase" (Poetry Contest), a record of thirty works selected by Fujiwara no Kinto, is also on display.

Photo (1): Celadon phoenix ear vase with the inscription "Mansei" [National Treasure]
Photo (2): Poetry Contest [National Treasure]

In addition to the regular spring exhibition, there will be a special exhibition of the National Treasure "Daito Kokushi's Calligraphy: Keirin Ge and Nangaku Ge."

Festivals held during cherry blossom season
On Saturdays and Sundays during the Castle Festival, there will be an exhibition of Senshu products, food trucks, and stage events.

A festival with over 300 years of history and tradition
It began in the mid-Edo period when the lord of Kishiwada held an Inari festival to pray for a good harvest, and is a festival representing the Senshu region that boasts a history and tradition of over 300 years.

The Kannon Hall, which underwent a major renovation in the Reiwa era in 2022, is called the "Kugi-nashi-do" (meaning "hall without nails") because it was built without the use of nails. It is an extremely rare opportunity to see all 19 Buddhist statues in one place.