On June 15, 2023, the “Aoba Festival” was held in Koya Town, Wakayama Prefecture to celebrate the birth of Kobo Daishi, Kukai. The Aoba Festival is held every year on June 15th, the day Kukai was born, and this year marks the 1250th anniversary of his birth.
In the morning, a memorial service called “Gotan-e” was held at Kongobu-ji Temple of Mt. Koya to celebrate the birth of a great monk, and about 100 people, including monks, chanted sutras. In addition, believers and tourists from all over the country poured sweet tea on the statue of Kobo Daishi’s child.