Osame no Konpira: The Year's Last Konpira Fair

What Is Osame no Konpira?

December 10th is "Osame no Konpira," the last Konpira fair day of the year. The 10th of every month is the fair day for Konpira, and because December is the final month, its fair carries this special name. The first of the year, on January 10th, is called "Hatsu Konpira."

A Faith That Spread as Guardian of the Sea

Kotohiragu Shrine, on the slope of Mount Zozu in Kotohira, Kagawa Prefecture, is known affectionately as "Konpira-san."

• Fair day: the 10th of each month; December 10th is the year's last, hence "Osame no Konpira"
• Head shrine: Kotohiragu in Sanuki is the head shrine for all Kotohira and Konpira shrines nationwide
• Blessing: revered as a guardian of sea travel, drawing devotion from fishermen and sailors
• Spread: as shipping trade grew in the Edo period, shipowners and merchants carried the faith across the country

"Konpira-san" Across Japan

Around 600 Kotohira, Konpira and related shrines across Japan, all enshrining Omononushi, are said to count Kotohiragu as their head shrine. The folk song "Konpira Fune Fune" began to be sung in the late Edo period. The name is written with several character combinations, and in the early modern period the deity was also called Konpira Daigongen.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Check whether there is a Kotohira or Konpira shrine near you
• Visit a local shrine and look back on a year passed safely
• Look up the origin of the folk song "Konpira Fune Fune"
• Write out the things you want to finish before the year ends

December Is a Month of Last Times

December brings a run of last fairs of the year: the last Suitengu fair on the 5th, Osame no Konpira on the 10th, the last Fudo fair on the 28th and more. The 10th is one of the markers on the way to year's end.