THE GIST OF THIS ARTICLE
- This page Breaking 2023, Schedule, What is Aoi Matsuri?
- Page 2 Saioh Dai 斎王代
- Page 3 Parade1: Chokushidai Retsu 勅使代行列
- Page 4 Parade2: Saiohdai Retsu 斎王代列
- Page 5 Shato no Gi 社頭の儀
- Page 6 Ceremonies prior to Aoi Matsuri
- Page 7 How to see the parade?
The following is the contents of this article.
Schedule 2023 (Postponed)
The parade 路頭の儀
In 2023, the parade takes place on 5/16.
On 5/16, the parade departs at 10:30 (Kyoto Imperial Palace) and arrives at Kamigamo shrine at 15:30. Tickets for reservation seats are valid on 5/16. No refund available.
Ceremonies at shrines 社頭の儀
- Shimogamo shrine 下鴨神社・・・5/15 10:00 Website
- Kamigamo shrine 上賀茂神社・・・5/15 Hondensai 本殿祭・9:00 Chokusai 勅祭11:00 Facebook page
Breaking 2023
In case of rain
Around 6 a.m., twitter or facebook page of Kyoto City Official Travel Guide will tell us whether the parade takes place.
In 2023, the parade takes place on 5/16.
5/12 Mikage Matsuri
Mikage Matsuri took place and the priests brought the spirit of the deity to Shimogamo
shrine.
Ceremonies prior to Aoi Matsuri in “Golden Week” 賀茂競馬、斎王代、流鏑馬神事
In so-called “Goden Week,” Kamo Kurabeuma, Saiohday Gyokei no Gi, and Yabusame took place for the first time in four years.
Aoi Matsuri will take place for the first time in 4 years!!!
In 2023, Shato no Gi and Roto no Gi take place for the first time in four years. Saioh dai Gyokei no Gi is to be held in Kamigamo shrine.
Kamo Kurabeuma and Ashizoroe Shiki also take place.
Crowded? 混雑状況
Yabusame Shinji, Saioh dai Gyokei no Gi, and Kamokurabeuma took place as planned. These ceremonies was SO CROWDED. I suppose Aoi Matsuri festival is gonna be オニのようにCROWDED.
Reservation seat to enjoy Aoi Matsuri 2023年の有料観覧席は4月4日に販売開始
Check the website of Kyoto Kanko Navi (in English).
- Seats in front row 一般席最前列 4,500円
- Seats in other rows 一般席二列目以降 3,500円
- Special seat with audio guide in front row (Shimogamo shrine only)まなび席最前列 9,500円
- Special seat with audio guide in front row (Shimogamo shrine only) まなび席二列目以降 8,500円
Reservation seats are available at Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrine.
Must sees みどころ
- Saioh dai and Parade・・・The parade brings us back to Heian period.(Page 3)
- Miare Shinji・・・Nigi Mitama and Aramitama are fused and the deity of Kamo reborn anew. (Mikage Matsuri)
- Kaeshi Norito・・・Chokushi, the messenger of Emperor, reads Norito to the deity and the deity replies. (Page 4)
Shedule 葵祭日程
Ceremonies prior to Aoi Matsuri 前儀
| 期日 | 行事名 |
| 5/1 | Ashizoroe Shiki |
| 5/3 | Yabuzame Shinji |
| 5/4 | Saihoda Gyokei no Gi |
| 5/5 | Busha Shinji |
| Kamo Kurabeuma | |
| 5/7 | Kencha Sai |
| 5/12 | Mikage Matsuri |
| Miare Shinji | |
| 5/14 | Biwako Katada Kugonin Gyoretsu Funa Hoken Sai |
The Parade 葵祭当日 5月15日
| 10:30 | Kenreimon |
| 10:50 | Sakaimach Gomon |
| 11:15 | Kawarmachi Imadegawa |
| 11:40 | Arrives Shimogamo shrine |
| Shato no Gi | |
| 14:20 | Departs Shimogamo shrine |
| 14:40 | Rakuhoku High Scholl |
| 14:55 | Kitaoji Bashi bridge |
| 15:30 | Arrives Kamigamo shrine |
Ceremonies after Aoi Matsuri 後儀
| 期日 | 行事名 |
| 5/17 | Kencha Sai at Kamigamo shrine |
| 5/21 | Kencha Sai at Shimogamo shrine |
| 5/28 | Sencha Kencha Sai at Kamigamo shrine |
What is Aoi matsuri festival?
Aoi matsuri festival is formally called “Kamo sai festival” because Kamo shrines hold it. The word “Kamo shrines” means Shimogamo shrine and Kamigamo shrine.
Shimogamo shrine’s formal name is “Kamo mioya jinjya shrine” and that of Kamigamo shrine is “Kamo wake Ikazuchi jinjya shrine”. Both of them has “Kamo”, so we call both shrines “Kamo shrine” as a whole.
These shrines hold Aoi matsuri festival on the second “bird day (We put Chinese zodiac signs like bird, tiger, and other animals on the days in calendar.)” on May of ancient Japanese lunar calendar. In the present day, they hold it on 15th on May.
Aoi matsuri festival is one of “The three famous festivals in Kyoto (the others are Gion matsuri festival and Jidai matsuri festival)” and also known as one of “The three famous Chokusai in Japan”
Chokusai is a matsuri (festival) held under the order from the Imperial court. At Chokusai, the emperor sends “Chokushi”, the messenger of the Emperor to a shrine that holds Chokusai. Of course in Aoi matsuri, the emperor sends “Chokushi” to Kamo shrines.
In Heian period, “Matsuri” means nothing but Kamo sai festival among aristocrats. In Edo period, poeple called Kamo sai festival “Aoi matsuri” gradually because the participants of Kamo sai festival put leaves of Aoi, the crests of these shrine, on their outfits.
The history of Aoi matsuri festival
The history of Aoi matsuri dates back to 6th century and it was called Kamo Sai, the Matusri of Kamosha.
Kamosha means Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrine.
In the era of emperor Kinnmei, there were many natural disasters and droughts. The emperor asked a fortune-teller about the cause. (Japanese emperor is the highest ranked priest in Shinto, the religion which has gratitude for the nature that gives us harvest. So, if anything wrong about the nature occurred, he is responsible for it.) The fortune-teller told him the cause of the natural disasters and droughts. It was a curse of Kami (Shinto Deity ) of Kamo. The emperor asked him to hold a ritual to ease the Kami of Kamo. This is the begging of Aoi matsuri feitival (Kamo sai).
It is not “curse” exactly. In old Japanese, “deities curse the country” means that rituals don’t take place and the country doesn’t work as expected.
In Heian period (794-1185), Kamo sai was held as one of the most important matsuri (festival) on the ancient Japanese law.
In Muromachi period (1336–1573), aristocrats was losing their power and influences and Kamo sai was on the decline. After “Onin no ran”, the largest-scale civil war in ancient time of Japan, Kamo sai ceased to exist. In Edo period(1603–1868), the matsuri (festival) was held again but stopped again in Meiji period(1868–1912). In the short time in Meiji and Showa period(1926–1989), the matsuri (festival) was held but stopped again during the WWll. In the end, the festival restored in 1953.
In Shinbutsu Shugo
Kamosai don’t allow the co-existence of Shinto and Buddhism (Shimbutsu Shugo). In the Sharyo ( lands belong to shrines) of Kamosya, there were no Buddhist temples except their Jingujis (Buddhist temples belong to Shrine) and the monks of them were not allowed to enter Sharyo.
In 1649, Kamo Sai and Mikage matsuri were restored and these monks made a complaint. The Imperial court and Tokugawa Shogunate asked the reason to Kamosha.
It replied, “天下之通則也.”
The sentence means “Obvious. No wonder, isn’t it?”
And it also said “due to this, Saioh uses Imikotoba.”
Imikotoba means words not to be used in a situation where something bad or evil must be avoided. Saioh was a priestess who served for deities of Kamo and had to be free from these words.
In the end, they maintained the custom.
In contrast to Gion Matsuri, it’s SO interesting. In Gion Matsuri, we cannot separate Shinto and Buddhism. The earliest Gion Matsuri is called Gion Goryoe. Gorye is a Buddhist ceremony. Gion Goryoe started for the purpose of getting rid of a cause of the epidemics and natural the disasters in 863. The cause was a curse of Gozutenno.
Ancient people thought curse of someone, including deities, brought them bad things like epidemics and natural disasters. That is an idea hiding behind Shinto (primitive one) and indigenous to Japan.
In Japan, Buddhism was imported from India in the 6th century. Since then, Shinto and Buddhism started to fuse. This phenomena is called Shibutsu-Shugo and Gion Goryoe in 863 is considered as a good example of the maturity of it.
On the other hand, Kamo Sai refused Shibutsu-Shugo. In Kamo Sai, a cause of natural disasters is a curse of the deities of Kamo. And Kamo Sai tries to get rid of the cause only in Shinto-way.
