Grand Purification & New Year's Eve Festival

About this event

Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine in Osaka combines two major ceremonies on New Year's Eve: the Grand Purification (Oharae) and the New Year's Eve Festival (Joya-sai). The Oharae cleanses worshippers of accumulated impurities from the year, while the Joya-sai ritually marks the transition to the new year. This double ceremony at one of Japan's oldest shrines draws large crowds seeking blessings for the year ahead.