Doburoku Festival in Ota village

Visitors to Ota, a usually quiet village on the Kunisaki Peninsula, swell the local population by a factor of 30 or more over two days in mid-October when its popular Doburoku Festival is held.

With a history stretching back to 710 A.D., doburoku, an unrefined sake, is liberally shared amongst all comers wishing to partake of this libation to the kami gods at Ota’s Shirahige-tawara Shrine. Served in traditional sakazuke shallow bowls used for celebration, the tart freshness of the newly brewed beverage on first taste mellows on further samplings. But beware, it is a potent brew. Buses are laid on to ferry everyone safely to and from Kitsuki Station.