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Speaking of matsuri (Japanese festival), we come to mind a festival in which a mikoshi (portable shrine) parades through the shrine\u2019s parish district for shrine parishioners who are difficult to visit the shrine. The festivals reported below, however, are events held for absorbing evil and impurity from the district to purify it. In the festivals, accordingly, mikoshi doesn\u2019t appear.
\nIn any case, let\u2019s check matsuri out!<\/p>\n
1. Kamigamo-Yasurai Matsuri
\nThe beginning of Yasurai Matsuri Festival has been said to be an event performed for appeasing vengeful ghosts when plagues spread or disasters often occurred in the Heian Period, because people thought that the ghosts caused all of the calamities. Now, Yasurai Matsuri is preserved and handed down in 4 areas of Kyoto-City by Yasurai-Odori Hozonkai (Yasurai-Dance Preservation Society) in each area. The matsuri was added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in November 2022.<\/p>\n
Kamigamo-Yasurai Matsuri is held on May 15th every year, and the date is the same date as Aoi Matsuri is held. On that day, I went to Kamigamo-jinja Shrine to see the procession of Aoi Matsuri. Fortunately, I bumped the procession of Yasurai Matsuri by chance and could see it.<\/p>\n
The procession of Yasuragi Matsuri starts from Yasurai-do Hall, goes to Ota-jinja Shrine and Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, and returns to Yasurai-do Hall. The festival procession parades to collect evil spirits or negative vibes and remove them from the parish district. Ota-jinja Shrine, at which the procession stops, is located about 600 meters east from Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, and is older than Kaimigamo-jinja Shrine. Rabbit Ear Iris grows in colonies in Ota-no-sawa swamp on the east side of the approach of the shrine, which is designated as a Natural Monument. We could see pretty flowers, it was past its prime, though. In addition, there is Tago-gaeru flog, which is a spices endemic in Japan, and can live only in a forest through which clean water flows, in the shrine.
\nOta-jinja Shrine, which is older than Kamigamo-jinjya Shrine<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"