En-nichi, the “Holy Day”, is a very common holiday in the Japanese culture. It is originally to celebrate the special relation with deities in either Shinto or Buddhism, and it falls on any day that holds special meanings to a local shrine or temple.

The celebration started during the Heian era (794 – 1192), when Buddhism became widely practiced in Japan. According to the Buddhist religion, there are as many as seventeen days every month that could be considered En-nichi, where God appears closer to earthly beings. This is why Japanese people often choose these days to pray at a shrine or temple.

In more recent days, however, En-nichi has taken the form of a street fair. During the festival, you will see food stalls and street vendors, often decorated in bright colors, lining up in the ground of shrines and temples. Japanese people now use it as a frequent occasion to gather and enjoy simple entertainments, sample various local snacks, and take part in traditional games.

At Dai-ichi Takimotokan, we also hold our own En-nichi festival every season. We have been attracting many to participate in the past years and our “Children’s Fair” is especially popular among visiting guests. Why not bring your little ones to our fair this year?

Here are some traditional Japanese games that our young guests enjoy the most:

Shateki
This shooting game is definitely a regular for Japanese festivals. The participant uses a toy gun and shoot down as many objects in the display as they can in a few tries. The children will have a chance to win the toy they shot themselves.

Superball Sukui
This game is another huge hit during festivals. Players try to scoop up the bounce balls from water by using a special scooper made from paper. This game requires care and speed as the paper can tear easily in the pool.

*Takimoto Haru Festival (Children’s Fair)
DATES: April 29th – May 5th
TIME: 16:00 – 21:00