The "Sennichi-mairi" (Thousand-Day Pilgrimage) at Kiyomizu-dera Temple (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto)—an event where a single day's visit is said to yield merit equivalent to a thousand days of worship—began on August 9, 2026. Despite the intense heat, large numbers of worshippers visited the temple, offering quiet prayers in the Main Hall amidst the flickering light of candles.
The Sennichi-mairi is a custom based on the belief that visiting a temple on a specific day grants exceptional spiritual merit. At Kiyomizu-dera, a tradition became widely popular among the common people during the Edo period of staying up all night to pray, coinciding with the 10th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar—a day considered to hold great spiritual significance.
On this day, temperatures in the city climbed toward 30°C by 9:00 a.m., yet worshippers formed lines from early in the morning. They were granted special access to the *nai-nai-jin* (innermost sanctuary) at the back of the Main Hall—where the shrine housing the temple's hidden principal image, an eleven-faced, thousand-armed Kannon statue, is located—and offered candles inscribed with wishes for family safety and recovery from illness before the *omaedachi* (a substitute statue displayed in front of the hidden principal image). Visitors also grasped a cord said to connect them to the principal image while quietly pressing their hands together in prayer.
A first-year high school student (15 years old) visiting from Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture, said with a smile, "With university entrance exams in mind, I prayed for academic success. It would also be wonderful to be blessed with good fortune in relationships."
The event runs until August 16. Visiting hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with special night viewing available from August 14 to 16. An admission fee is required.
