Mizumadera Temple - Senbon Zuki Rice Cake Pounding

Well, I didn't actually see the rice cake pounding but apparently rice is pounded with logs 1,000 times to make cakes. It's no wonder I missed it though as even now I really haven't the foggiest of where I actually was today except in the southern part of Osaka, possibly south and west but as it wasn't on any of my maps I'm not quite sure. It took a long time to get there. It felt like a small semi isolated town outside of Osaka. It was packed with people making their New Year's temple visit.

Anyhow I went for the rice cake pounding but missed that action. To be perfectly honest I'm not sure what the history of the pounding is, or why 1,000 times. What I do know is that the rice cakes are said to ward off evil and are therefore very desirable. So following the pounding everyone gathers in a parking lot under a grand stand where local dignitaries stand with heaps of rice cake which they proceed to hurl at the crowd. Of course everyone is very anxious to get one or more of these cakes (which are now wrapped in plastic) so there is much positioning and jostling to catch said cakes. Quite the spectacle.

Anyhow a few pics from the day's festivities: