Kibi Summer Festival / Kibi Revival Fireworks Festival (held on August 17, 2019) - A summer festival where the small Kibi Shrine is enveloped in great warmth.

The Kibi-sama Summer Festival is an annual event held every summer at the "Kibi Shrine" in Yata, Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City, which is said to be the burial site of the local sage, Kibi no Makibi, to honor his achievements.

However, due to the damage caused by the heavy rain in July 2018, the event was canceled for the fiscal year 2018.

On August 17, 2019 (Saturday), the festival was held for the first time in two years, and many people gathered to enjoy the festivities, which will be introduced by Kuratoco reporters!

Many stalls in the shrine grounds

Many stalls were set up in the grounds of Kibi-sama, and I enjoyed some of them.

▼Local beer "Sasa" from Makibi Brewery.
It is a beer with a fruity taste and elegant aroma.

Additionally, there was "Take," a rich malt-flavored beer.
This is a delightful menu for adult participants.

List of stalls

• Grilled chicken
• Ice cream
• Shaved ice
• Fried noodles
• Local beer
• Frankfurter
• Super ball scooping, etc.

Diverse performances on stage

The Mabi Children's Choir performed.
They confidently sang many songs, including the familiar "Furusato."

On the stage set up in front of the building, various genres of performers showcased their talents, adding splendor to the festival.

Stage program

1. Taiko performance
2. Guitar performance
3. Choir (Mabi Children's Choir)
4. Panfute (Imai Tsutomu)
5. Shakuhachi (Arakawa)

Omikuji fortune-telling was also available in the building

After visiting the building, I drew an omikuji (fortune slip) (200 yen donation).

The omikuji included not only fortune but also a rank, and based on the rank, we received a prize.

The finale was 2,000 fireworks

Fireworks viewed from the Kibi-sama shrine grounds.

At 9 PM, fireworks were launched from the embankment of the nearby Oda River.

The first firework was a white firework dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives in the heavy rain, and a total of 2,000 fireworks, double the usual number, beautifully adorned the summer night along with the moon.

Video of the fireworks

There is also a video of the fireworks launched at the Kibi-sama Summer Festival!
A tremendous number of fireworks went off in one minute, and it was very beautiful.

If you like, please take a look.

Conclusion: Who is Kibi no Makibi?

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

He also made significant contributions in the political arena, rising to the position of Minister of the Right.
This is the highest rank achieved by a scholar in Japanese history, comparable to Sugawara no Michizane, who is revered as the god of learning.

It is said that after retiring from politics, he spent time in what is now Mabi-cho.

Over time, in the Showa era, the area associated with him was named Mabi-cho, and it has retained that name even after being incorporated into Kurashiki City.

The area around Kibi-ji Temple, associated with Kibi no Makibi, has been developed as Makibi Park, where various materials are preserved and exhibited at the Makibi Memorial Museum, so if you are interested, please visit.

The shrine that served as the venue for the Kibi-sama Summer Festival is called "Kibi-sama," and many people visit to pay their respects.

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Data on the Kibi-sama Summer Festival / Kibi-sama Reconstruction Fireworks Festival

Name	Kibi-sama Summer Festival / Kibi-sama Reconstruction Fireworks Festival
Date	August 17, 2019 (Saturday) Summer Festival: 6 PM - 9 PM Fireworks Festival: 9 PM - 9:30 PM
Location	Summer Festival: Kibi Shrine Grounds (Yata, Mabi-cho, Kurashiki City) / Fireworks Festival: Oda River Embankment (south of Kurashiki Makibi Support School)
Website	Kurashiki City | Event Information

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