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Many matsuri (Shinto festivals) are held in Kyoto. I’d like to introduce you to the Matsuo Matsuri in Matsuo-taisha Shrine and the Imamiya Matsuri in Imamiya Shrine.
The word “matsuri” means events or ceremonies for defying gods or Buddha, and our ancients, in which we present an offering, and offer a prayer, appreciation, or console the spirits of the dead on a specific day. When I was a child, I had an impression in which mikoshi (portable shrine) and dressed up horses paraded the streets in the town, street stalls stood on both side of the approach to the shrine, and the precincts of the shrine were crowded with people even in evenings during the matsuri. I was very surprised when I heard that the Gion Matsuri was not held for only three days but continued for one month in my college days.
Please check out the matsuri in Kyoto from the Matsuo Matsuri.
1. Matsuo Matsuri
Matsuo-taisha Shrine started from a religious service held on a large rock, which is the dwelling place of a deity, on Mt. Matsuo where the shrine buildings stand. It is said that the Hata Family, who were powerful in that area at that time, built shrine buildings half-way up Mt. Matsuo by the imperial order in 701. Matsuo Matsuri, dating back to the early Heian Period, is held from late April to early May every year. This year, shinkosai was held on the 20th of April, the mikoshi was lodged in an otabisho for 3 weeks, and kankosai was held on the 11th of May. Here, the word “shinkosai” means an event in which a mikoshi having a shintai is carried from a Shinto shrine to an otabisho, where the word “shintai” means an object of worship usually housed in a Shinto shrine and believed to contain the spirit of a deity, during the matsuri, the shintai being moved from the shrine to the mikoshi; the word “otabisho” means a place where the mikoshi is lodged during the matsuri; and the word “kankosai” means an event in which the mikoshi goes back from the otabisho to the shrine. During the matsuri, people who usually cannot visit the shrine can directly pray to the god, which is an object with which to carry out the ritual.
In Matsuo Matsuri, a funatogyo in which the mikoshi crosses Katsuragawa River using a boat was held. The mikoshi was carried using a hand truck after leaving the shrine, and when it reached the top of the bank of Katsuragawa River, the mikoshi was moved from the hand truck to shoulders of bearers. The bearers went down the bank to the river side while they raised shouts “Hoitto, Hoitto!” The shout means “let’s go with vigor!” After entering the river while carrying the portable shrine, they carefully put the mikoshi on a boat on the river. Up to here, powerful scenes, such as the shouts by the bearers, shaking the mikoshi, and a cloud dust, were unfolded. After that, the boat carrying the mikoshi moved gently on the river surface to the other side. After all of the mikoshi gathered on the other riverside, some events were held, and then the mikoshi went toward their otabisho. Please check out the events held in the funatogyo below!
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Top of Matsuri Procession
Wheel of Hand Truck
Shinto priests leaded the procession.
Hoitto, Hoitto!
The procession reached the riverside.
THe mikoshi got into the river.
The boat passed under the mikoshi
The mikoshi was put on the boat.
Mikoshi on Boat
The mikoshi on the boat crossed the river.
The boat reached the opposite side.
The Mikoshi went up the slope.
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Mikoshi in Procession
Matsuri Chochin (Festival Lantern)
Hoitto, Hoitto!
What a relief!
Seen from Far Away
The boat passed under the mikoshi.
The mikoshi was put on the boat.
The mikoshi on the boat crossed the river.
The boat went toward the opposite side.
The mikoshi was handed to the bearers.
Hoitto, Hoitto!
They were waiting for a ceremonial occasion.
2. Imamiya Matsuri
It is said that a shrine building deifying a god of pestilence stood in an area where Imamiya Shrine stands now from before the relocation of the capital to Heian-kyo (ancient Kyoto). The origin of Imamiya Matsuri is said to be a mikoshi was made and goryoe (a ceremony to appease onryo (vengeful ghosts) bringing an epidemic or disaster) was held to ward off the onryo from Heian-kyo in 994, that is, Imamiya Matsuri is a festival in an urban area, originated from the goryoe. Although Imamiya Matsuri was discontinued temporarily due to civil wars, it was revived in the early Edo period by the powers that be and the local people, and it is still held even now.
I watched the kankosai held on the 11th of May in Imamiya Matsuri. The people dressing in ancient clothes, Japanese drums, festival floats mounted with a decorative halbear or fan (which are hoko in Japanese), Yaotome (shrine maiden) an oxcart, a Japanese musical band, Shishimai (dancers wearing a guardian lion costume), and mikoshi made a procession and marched to return to Imamiya Shrine. One mikoshi among the three mikoshi precipitating the matsuri is the biggest in Kyoto. During the marching of the procession, Yaotome-mai (a dance by Yaotome) was dedicated.
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Kuruma Daiko (Japanese drums)
Ryu-hoko
Yaotome
Japanese Musical Band
Yaotome-mai
Oxcart
from the back
Shishimai
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Ken-hoko
Ogi-hoko
Side Surface of Hoko
Mikoshi Carried by Children
Yaotome-mai
Body of Oxcart
Mikoshi
The mikoshi was carried while put on a hand truck, and it was very exciting that the mikoshi passed through a corner at which narrow roads intersected at right angles, which is called tsujimawashi (a 90-degree change of direction at the corner) in Japanese. During the tsujimawashi, the bearers shout “Yosa, yosa!” which means let’s go slowly and carefully.
Tsujimawashi: Please check the photos in the order of 1. to 7. The narrow road was full of the hand truck carrying the mikoshi, and the hand truck turned at right angles as it went. When the truck turned, tense ran high, and people standing along the road also shouted “Yosa, yosa!”
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There are some places where the hoko and kesohin, which is an ornament used for decorating a hoko such as a gorgeous woven fabric (for example, dantsu or hand-knotted carpet) or embroidered fabric, are displayed. The display is called imatsuri. When I visited there, the hoko was displayed in the state of disassembly. Like the hoko in Gion Matsuri, the ornaments on the hoko, particularly dantsu, was wonderful! The red flag cannot be made now, because there are no craftsmen who can make it.
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