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Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine And Doburoku Festival Museum

Homemade Wine for Gods

Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine is located in Ogimachi, Shirakawa-go, and is dedicated to Emperor Ojin. It is a tradition for the local people to brew wine from forest berries to honor the gods, and every year in October, a festival is held regularly. It also has a museum that shows the history and customs of the shrine through models and objects.

Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine 白川八幡神社 is located in Ogimachi, Shirakawa-go 白川郷, Japan. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Ojin, who blesses the villagers with a good harvest and a safe home. The shrine is said to have originated in the early 8th century and was moved to its present location about 800 years ago.

Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine is surrounded by ancient trees, with several centuries-old sacred trees standing tall and proud. In addition to the Main Hall and Worship Hall, there are also buildings such as the Sacred Wine Hall and the Shakyamuni Hall, most of which have been restored and rebuilt several times.

The people of Ogimachi used to brew wine from the forest berries to honor the gods, and generations over generations, the brewing techniques became more and more sophisticated, resulting in a unique local brew called Doburoku 濁酒. The Doburoku Festival has also become one of the most famous festivals in Japan, held on the 14th and 15th of October every year.

Manywhere Tips:
Feel free to ask for a refill if one bowl of Doburoku is not enough, it’s really great.

The theme of the Doburoku Festival Museum is to introduce and showcase the Doburoku Festival, and visitors can enjoy a bowl of Doburoku upon entering the museum. The museum not only has a collection of mikoshi 神輿 (portable shrine), sake cups and lion heads, but also Exquisite Mannequins reproduces the lion dance for the festival.