Kebes Festival

About this event

A fire rite held every 14 October at Kushikusha Shrine on the Kunisaki Peninsula. A masked figure called Kebes tries again and again to charge the bonfire while white-robed guardians called Toba beat him back; when he finally breaks through, the Toba scatter burning brands among the crowd, and embers caught on your clothes are said to bring health for the year. Its origins are unknown even to the shrine.