By SHINJIRO SADAMATSU/ Staff Writer
November 28, 2025 at 07:00 JST
Monks dressed as demons face each other in the Shujo Onie ritual held at Tennenji temple in Bungotakada, Oita Prefecture, on Feb. 16, 2024. (Shinjiro Sadamatsu)
Shujo Onie, a traditional demon-filled ritual celebrating the Lunar New Year on Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, will be performed in Milan on Dec. 7, its first overseas show in 30 years.
The Japanese government has designated Shujo Onie, which represents the Rokugo-Manzan culture on the peninsula, as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
A local legend on the peninsula tells of demons bringing happiness as incarnations of Buddha.
In the Shujo Onie ritual, monks at local temples dress up as demons and wish for good health and safety in cooperation with local residents. Three temples preserve the traditional practices and scale of the ritual.
Monks responsible for Shujo Onie at Tennenji Temple will travel to Italy’s second-largest city for the performance.
The event was arranged after Valerio Sebasthian Aldrighi, a 37-year-old puppet theater artist based in Milan, visited Bungotakada, Oita Prefecture, in November last year.
Deeply impressed by the Rokugo-Manzan culture, Aldrighi proposed a Bungotakada-Milan cultural exchange. The initiative was adopted as a model project by Japan’s Cultural Affairs Agency.
Aldrighi and his team revisited Bungotakada in October this year and performed traditional Milanese puppet plays, incorporating Japanese language, at two locations, including the popular tourist spot Showa Town.
“I’m very interested in the ritualistic elements of Shujo Onie. I believe it will be received positively in Milan with intellectual curiosity,” said Aldrighi, who plans to create a puppet play based on Shujo Onie.
In Shujo Onie at Tennenji Temple, demons holding torches dance while shouting “horenshoyo, soraonniwayo,” as sparks fly across the hall.
In Milan, the performances will be held at an art venue during both day and night. The nighttime show will recreate the dramatic fire-filled spectacle.
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