Exciting
Traditional Spring FestivalsGreat fun and fortune for everyone
In April visitors can experience a number of traditional festivals and rituals all over Kyoto Prefecture. Some of them are really famous and held on a large scale with many participants and large viewing crowds. However, many are small, local events and those are often the ones that are the most interesting. The small events are usually the ones that are still really old and traditional and close to ancient times.
Izumo
Furyu HanaodoriOn April 18th every year, a splendid festival is held at Izumo-daijingu Shrine. The shrine is in Kameoka City in western-central Kyoto Prefecture. The festival is called Hana-matsuri Festival and is filled with mysterious, graceful atmosphere. Part of the mystery comes from the festival’s traditional ritual dance and the accompanying eerie sounds of gagaku music (Shinto shrine music). For many, one of the most enjoyable parts of this festival is the Izumo Furyu Hanaodori (Flower Dance). Before the Kamakura period (1185-1333), farms in the area often suffered from serious droughts. The Flower Dance was started to pray for rain. The dancers were costumes decorated with various seasonal flowers and trees. Pine trees, plum and cherry blossom designs adorn the dancer’s hats as they dance around the shrine to the accompaniment of singing, small drums and whistles.
According to the shrine’s record, one of the largest dances in its history took place in 1767 when a particularly terrible drought occurred. A picture in the shrine from that dance shows 315 dancers. Today, there are only 11! The dance was designated a Folk Culture Heritage by Kyoto Prefecture.
The festival offers the visitor the chance to experience both the solemn ritual before the dance and the lively colorful dancing of the common people afterwards. Both energies and the two different classes of people at one event offer a special chance to experience traditional Japanese life.
Access: Take the JR Sagano line from Kyoto Station to Kameoka Station. Then take a Kyoto Kotsu Bus; get off at Izumo-jinja-mae bus stop (about 10 minutes). Tel: 0771-24-7799 (Izumo-daijingu Shrine).
Yakuyoke
Tsuina-shiki RitualThis ritual is also held on April 18th every year. It takes place at Hoshaku-ji Temple in Oyamazaki Town in southwestern Kyoto Prefecture. Hoshaku-ji Temple was built in 724 and has also been called Takara-dera Temple (treasure temple) since late Heian period (794-1185). In Japanese, yakuyoke tsuina means to avoid and drive away the misfortunes. In Japan, according to certain beliefs, people of certain ages (different for men and women) experience more difficulties and misfortune than people of other ages. People approaching these stages of life often visit good fortune temples to ensure minimal misfortune. Hoshaku-ji Temple is well known for its unique ritual, Yakuyoke Tsuina-shiki, which is said to prevent misfortune. The most interesting and fun part of the ritual is called the Onikusube (to smolder the devil or ogre). At the start of the ritual every door and window in the temple is shut tight and a fire of cypress branches, lotus aloe and peach tree branches is burned in the temple to drive out 5 different devils. When the devils leave the temple they find 75 large rice cakes placed around the eaves of the temple. The devils can see their reflection in the rice cakes and when they see how ugly they are they immediately run away.
When the devils are gone the troubles and misfortune are also believed to be gone. Then the Seven Gods of Fortune (Shichifukujin) appear on a stage shaped like a treasure boat and scatter rice cakes about and pray for people’s fortune.
When the temple fills with the sacred smoke, the audience at first feel uncomfortable but as the ritual proceeds they get more involved and interested in the outcome.
Access: From Yamazaki Station (JR Kyoto line) or Oyamazaki Station (Hankyu Kyoto line), walk to the temple (15 minutes)
Tel: 075-956-0047 (Hoshaku-ji Temple).