Oshiroi Matsuri (Face Paint Festival)

おしろい祭り

On the day of the Oshiroi Matsuri (Face Paint Festival), newly harvested rice is ground into powder and made into white face paint, which is then smeared on the faces of worshippers in an attempt to foretell whether they will have a bountiful or lean harvest. These worshippers are not allowed to wash nor wipe the paint off their faces until they get home, and it is said that if they feed their livestock food with the face paint mixed into it, the animals will never get sick. It is also said that if worshippers participate in the festival every year, their skin will become smooth and they will have a long life! With a relaxed mood amid its silliness, the Oshiroi Matsuri is one of the more unique festivals throughout the whole of Japan.

Address (Japanese)	838-1503　福岡県朝倉市杷木大山　大山祇神社
Address	Oyamazumi Shrine, Haki, Asakura City, Fukuoka
Telephone Number	0946-62-0730（道の駅「原鶴」インフォメーションセンター）
Contact	Asakura City Board of Education
Open	2pm through 4 pm on December 2
Access	15 minutes by car from the Haki Intercahnge off the Oita Expressway