Twice a year Daianji, once one of the seven great Nara temples, serves sasa-zake: sake heated in 1.2 m bamboo tubes over a fire and poured into green-bamboo cups by "sasa-musume" in kimono. It is held on 23 January (Kōnin-e) and 23 June (Take-kuyō).
Why it's unique
The temple's long-standing role was warding off disease, and today it is known nationally for cancer prayers. The bamboo-heated sake is how you take part.
It is a ritual you join rather than watch: you drink the blessing, and the cup is yours to keep.
Before you go
Go in the morning: the prayers start early and the sake runs out. Non-drinkers get sasa-mizu, bamboo water with the same blessing. The bamboo cups are the souvenir.
