The Gokaicho is the most sacred event in the 1,400-year history of Zenkō-ji, one of Japan's most important Buddhist temples and the spiritual heart of Nagano city. Every seven years, the Honzon—a gilt bronze triad said to be Japan's oldest Buddha image and normally kept in absolute secrecy—is ceremonially displayed to the public for six weeks. Millions of pilgrims converge from across Japan to join the procession of monks and to touch the Pillars of Light, and subsidiary temples throughout the city hold their own kaichō in concert. The surrounding streets fill with market stalls, lantern processions, and ritual performances rarely seen outside this event. The next Gokaicho is scheduled for 2033.
- Type
- Festival
- Category
- Temple/Shrine
- Season
- Spring
- Month
- April–May (every 7 years; next 2033)
- Region
- Chubu
- Prefecture
- Nagano
- City
- Nagano
Highlights
- ◆Once-in-seven-years viewing of Japan's oldest hidden Buddha
- ◆Millions of pilgrims converging on Nagano city
- ◆Six-week festival with lantern processions and street markets
- ◆Rare ritual ceremonies performed by resident priests
- ◆Spiritual centrepiece of 1,400 years of Zenkō-ji history