HYPER LOCAL NAGOYA
October 22nd marks the annual festival at Ueno Tenmangu Shrine in Nagoya’s Chikusa-ku. It’s a time for gratitude, health prayers, and celebrating the harvest—a true local autumn fest. In Aichi Prefecture, their autumn festivals stand out with a cherished tradition: “mochi tossing,” a symbol of sharing happiness. Many Nagoya locals don’t fully grasp the tradition’s significance, so we dove into a hyper-local festival at Ueno Tenmangu Shrine to discover!
*Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are solely our own!
The Swift and Puzzling Mochi Tossing
Quickly about Ueno Tenmangu Shrine, it’s famous for honoring Sugawara no Michizane, the god of academics, and becomes a hotspot during the exam season. Students flock here, seeking divine intervention for their tests. For locals, it’s not just a shrine; it’s a cherished neighborhood gem.
However, the highlight of Ueno Tenmangu Shrine’s autumn festival is the “mochi tossing.” To be perfectly frank, most people don’t fully grasp its symbolism, but they embrace it as a local tradition.
Mochi, those delightful rice cakes, are considered the most important offering to the gods, symbolizing gratitude and well-being. So, mochi is offered to the gods, and then it’s tossed around—a quirky tradition symbolizing “thankfulness” and “prosperity.”
The mochi toss, the festival’s centerpiece, starts promptly at 4 PM and wraps up five minutes later, as if on a tight schedule. If you’re a pro, you come prepared with a plastic bag to scoop up those fallen mochi, like a true local.
Here’s a pro tip: picking up the mochi from the ground is more efficient than snatching them directly in mid-air, or so the locals say.
Mochi tossing is an amusingly swift event. It even has a dash of the surreal. People who arrive a tad late every year quickly realize they’ve missed the action. By the time they show up, it’s all over; everyone’s start heading home.
Treats Galore After the Toss
Once the mochi tossing is done, the kids make a beeline for the food stalls. Their targets? Candy apples, taiyaki, kushikatsu, and all those classic festival munchies.
Grown-ups stand in line too. It’s a chance to chat with neighbors while indulging in mouthwatering snacks.
The kids often engage in a spirited competition, bragging about how many mochi they scooped up, and then they head to the nearby park to play.
When it comes to festivals, it’s the flavors and scents from the food stalls that become the heart and soul of the celebration. That’s what makes attending a festival truly fun, don’t you think?
Now, you might wonder, what happens to all those scooped-up mochi? Do people save them for a grand feast or dig in right on the spot?
Akasakacho, 4-89, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya
