Church Headquarters held its traditional New Year’s event called the “Sechi Festival” at the Home of the Parent from January 5 to 7.
The festival, which has continued from the days when Oyasama was physically present, attracted 45,689 people—including church groups and families—to the Home of the Parent over the three days.
On the first day, which was blessed with clear weather, people who had finished their New Year’s pilgrimage to Jiba began to line up at the reception area of the venues soon after 9:00 A.M. Meanwhile, at the grilling area, the rice cakes, which had been cut into small pieces at the previous day’s ceremony known as “okagami biraki” (literally, “opening the mirror” or “opening the round mirror–shaped rice cakes”), were being carefully grilled.
At 10:00 A.M., the sound of wooden clappers echoed, signaling the opening of the festival. Visitors moved to the venues set up in a total of four places—namely, Dining Halls 1 and 2, the East Right Wing 1 of the Oyasato-yakata building-complex, and an outside tent in the square near the Besseki Lecture Hall—and, even after the opening, more visitors continued to pour into the reception area. The line of visitors waiting to enter the venues stretched from the square in front of the East Center Wing of the Oyasato-yakata building-complex, across Higashisuji Street, and all the way to the East Worship Hall of the Main Sanctuary. After 12:00 noon, the line reached its peak for the day, at approximately 540 meters (1,770 ft.).
A bowl containing rice cakes and mizuna greens was served to each person, and hot clear broth was poured from a pot to complete a piping hot zoni bowl. Those who came enjoyed the bowl and savored the unique flavor of New Year’s in the Home of the Parent. At the exit of the venues, small bags of rice cakes were distributed as souvenirs. The number of visitors on the first day reached 27,797, the highest number during the period.
Throughout the three-day festival, approximately 5,000 people, including Church Headquarters resident officials, directly supervised church head ministers, diocese superintendents, Church Headquarters staff members, Shuyoka students, and students from schools in the Home of the Parent, participated in hinokishin inside and outside the venues. This year, 15,600 kilograms (34,320 lb.) of rice cakes, 1,501 kilograms (3,302 lb.) of mizuna greens, and 16,820 liters (4,439 gal.) of clear broth were served while 3,710 kilograms (8,162 lb.) of charcoal was used for grilling the rice cakes.