Kibi-sama Summer Festival / Kibi-sama Reconstruction Fireworks Festival (held August 17, 2019) ～ A Summer Festival Where the Small Kibi Kōbyō Was Wrapped in Great Warmth

The Kibi-sama Summer Festival is an annual summer event held at “Kibi Kobyō,” said to be the tomb of Kibi no Makibi, a wise local figure whose achievements are celebrated. The tomb is in Yata, Mabi, Kurashiki City, and is commonly known as “Kibi-sama.”

However, the event was canceled in fiscal 2018 due to damage caused by the July 2018 torrential rains.

The Kibi-sama Summer Festival was held again for the first time in two years on Saturday, August 17, 2019, and drew a large crowd. A Kuratoco reporter takes you through the event!

Lots of food stalls in the shrine grounds

There were many food stalls in the grounds of Kibi-sama, and we sampled some of them.

▼ “Sasa,” a craft beer from Mabi Chikurin Beer Brewery.
It has a fruity taste and an elegant aroma.

There was also “Take,” with a rich, full-bodied malt flavor.
It was a welcome option for adult festivalgoers.

List of stalls

• Yakitori
• Ice cream
• Shaved ice
• Yakisoba
• Craft beer
• Frankfurters
• Super ball scooping, and more

A variety of performances on stage

Members of the Makibi Children’s Choir.
They sang many songs with confidence, including the familiar “Furusato.”

The stage set up in the plaza in front of the building featured performers from a variety of genres, adding to the festive atmosphere.

Stage program

1. Taiko drumming
2. Guitar and vocals
3. Choir (Makibi Children’s Choir)
4. Pan flute, and more (Tsutomu Imai)
5. Shakuhachi (Mr. Arakawa)

You could also draw a fortune slip in the building

After praying in the building, I drew a fortune slip. (A 200-yen offering is required.)

The fortune slip listed a rank as well as your fortune, and you could receive a prize corresponding to your rank.

The finale: 2,000 fireworks

Fireworks viewed from the grounds of Kibi-sama.

At 9 p.m., fireworks were launched from the banks of the nearby Oda River.

The first firework was white, in tribute to those who lost their lives in the torrential rains. A total of 2,000 fireworks—twice the usual number—were launched, beautifully lighting up the summer night alongside the moon.

Fireworks video

There’s also a video of the fireworks launched at the Kibi-sama Summer Festival!
An incredible number of fireworks go off in just one minute, and they’re beautiful.

Take a look if you like.

In closing: Who was Kibi no Makibi?

Kibi no Makibi was a scholar of the Nara period. He traveled to Tang China (present-day China) at the ages of 22 and 57, bringing back local scholarship and knowledge to Japan.

He also made his mark in politics, rising to the position of Minister of the Right.
This was the highest rank ever attained by a scholar in Japanese history.
He was on a par with Sugawara no Michizane, revered as the god of learning.

It is also said that after retiring from politics, he spent his later years in what is now Mabi.

Later, during the Showa era, the area associated with him was named Mabi, and the name remained even after it was incorporated into Kurashiki City.

The area around Kibidera Temple, which is associated with Kibi no Makibi, has been developed as Makibi Park. It is also home to Makibi Memorial Hall, where many historical materials are preserved and displayed, so be sure to visit if you’re interested.

The shrine that hosted the Kibi-sama Summer Festival is known as “Kibi-sama,” and many people visit to worship.

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Kibi-sama Summer Festival / Kibi-sama Reconstruction Fireworks Festival details

Name	Kibi-sama Summer Festival / Kibi-sama Reconstruction Fireworks Festival
Date	Saturday, August 17, 2019 Summer festival: 6:00–9:00 p.m. Fireworks festival: 9:00–9:30 p.m.
Location	Summer festival: Kibi-sama shrine grounds (Yata, Mabi, Kurashiki City) / Fireworks festival: Oda River bank (south of Kurashiki Mabi Support School)
Website	Kurashiki City | Event Information

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