Himurobiraki

A traditional event held every year at Yuwaku Onsen in Ishikawa. It originated in the Edo period, when ice was a precious commodity and the Kaga Domain stored snow that fell during the winter, took it out on June 1 of the old lunar calendar, and presented it to the Tokugawa shogunate. Since being revived, it has continued for more than 40 years.

Himurobiraki is held every year on June 30. After a Buddhist memorial service, the Himuro hut (storage hut) on the shore of Gyokusenko Lake is opened, and compressed snow ice made from winter snow is taken out. The cut ice is dedicated to the local Yakushiji Temple and also sent to Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa City, and Tokyo's Bunkyo and Itabashi wards, where residences of the Kaga Domain once stood. Ice displayed at Kanazawa Station and Omicho Market can be touched, and people come one after another to enjoy a moment of cool relief.

The following day, on July 1, Himuro manju are sold at Japanese confectionery shops in Kanazawa to pray for good health and protection from illness. These steamed buns are characterized by three wrapper colors, white, red, and green, and are an essential treat of summer in Kanazawa.