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Gion matsuri festival in Kyoto 2025 Comprehensive guide: Mikoshis, Yamahoko floats, and Yoiyamas!!! 祇園祭2025英語で説明

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Introduction

御旅所

Gion Matsuri is an annual ritual of Yasaka shrine and is one of so-called Japan three great festivals.

At first, it started as Gory-e, the Buddhist ritual in 869 on the order of the Imperial court. After the Imperial court were on decline and couldn’t afford it, the citizens of Kyoto took over it as de facto successors. Thanks to them, it survived over centuries and marked the 1150th anniversary in Reiwa 1(2019).

Though the Matsuri began as a Buddhist ceremony, it has carried on under the religious syncretism of Shinto, Buddhism and Onmyodo. In 1862, the Meiji government banned the syncretism “in terms of law” but it is still alive in 2023.

Gion Matsuri is famous for its Yamahoko prade all over the world but the most important ceremony is Mikoshi Togyo. In Mikoshi Togyo, the deities of Yaska shrine are on Mikoshis to stay Otabisho, the temporary shrine located in the downtown of Kyoto. They stayed there for a week to get rid of Ekijins, the spirit bring us epidemics.

牛頭天王

To do away with epidemics, it is the authentic aim of Gion Matsuri since 869. In ancient times, people believed Goryos from the other world caused epidemics and they held Goryo-e to drive out the Goryos, the soul of deceased persons who was politically ousted. As time went by, people started to believe that the cause of epicemics is Ekijin and they expected Ekijins to protect them from epidemics.

シカさん
シカさん

In old times, people believed epidemics came from far out places. And They thought  Ekijin brought them epidemics.

Today, we believe that Yamahokos capture the Ekijins in the city and the deities in Otabisho to get rid of them.

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The order of Yamahoko Parade 2025

Saki Matsuri 前祭巡行 7/17

順番 くじ 山鉾
1 くじ取らず 長刀鉾 Naginatahoko
2 山壱番 占出山 Urade Yama
3 山弐番 霰天神山 Arare Tenjin Yama
4 山参番 山伏山 Yamabushi Yama
5 くじ取らず 函谷鉾 Kanko Hoko
6 山四番 油天神山 Abura Tenjin Yama
7 傘壱番 綾傘鉾 Ayagasa Hoko
8 山五番 蟷螂山 Toro Yama
9 鉾壱番 菊水鉾 Kikusui Hoko
10 山六番 保昌山 Hosho Yama
11 山七番 伯牙山 Hakuga Yama
12 山八番 白楽天山 Hakurakuten Yama
13 鉾弐番 月鉾 Tsuki Hoko
14 山九番 木賊山 Tokusa Yama
15 傘弐番 四条傘鉾 Shijo Kasahoko
16 山拾番 太子山 Taishi Yama
17 鉾参番 鶏鉾 Niwatori Hoko
18 山拾壱番 芦刈山 Ashikari Yama
19 山拾弐番 郭巨山 Kakkyo Yama
20 山拾参番 孟宗山 Moso Yama
21 くじ取らず 放下鉾 Hohka Hoko
22 くじ取らず 岩戸山 Iwato Yama
23 くじ取らず 船鉾 Fune Hoko

Ato Matsuri 後祭巡行 24日

順番 くじ 山鉾
1 くじ取らず 橋弁慶山 Hasih Benkei Yama
2 くじ取らず 南観音山 Minami Kannon Yama
3 山一番 役行者山 En no Gyoja Yama
4 山弐番 浄妙山 Jyomyo Yama
5 山参番 鯉山 Koi Yama
6 くじ取らず 北観音山 Kita Kannon Yama
7 山四番 八幡山 Hachiman Yama
8 山五番 黒主山 Kuronushi Yama
9 山六番 鈴鹿山 Suzuka Yama
10 くじ取らず 鷹山 Taka Yama
11 くじ取らず 大船鉾 Ohfune Hoko
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Why is “Gion matsuri” festival celebrated ?

A short history of Yasaka shrine

八坂神社の手水舎

The foundation of Yasaka shrine remains to be secret because of its long history. At least in the 9th century, the shrine was known as Gion-kanjinin (祇園感神院), or Gion-sha (祇園社), the Buddhist temple. This sounds very strange because Yasaka shrine is a Shinto shrine today. Why was a Shinto shrine a Buddhist temple?

In ancient Japan, both Shinto and Buddhism were fused. Shinto is a religion indigenous to Japan. It is a kind of animism and a code for a small community. On the other hand, Buddhism was a religion brought to Japan from ancient India in 6th century. When our ancestors saw the introduction of Buddhism, they did not fall away Shinto. They fused both of these religions and reconstructed them as a new belief instead. That is one of the typical and characteristic way of thinking Japanese people take. If we find something interesting and it is no harm to the members of society, we just adopt it.

Now go back to the word “Gion (祇園)”. As a Budhhist temple, former Yasaka shrine enshrined Gozu-tenno (牛頭天王) as a Buddhist Deity. Gozu-tenno was a guardian of Gion-shoja ( 祇園精舎、Jatavana). So former Yasaka shrine was called Gion-kanshinin, or Gion-sha. Take a look at the picture above. It is a photo of small reservoir where visitors purify themselves. You can see engraved Kanji letters. They read Kanjinin (感神院).

This is a short history of Yasaka shrine. Now make it clear that why Yasaka shrine holds Gion matsuri festival in the following chapter.

The beginning of Gion matsuri festival

神泉苑

The history of Gion matsturi festival dates back to 869. At that time in Kyoto, many people suffered smallpox, dysentery, and other epidemics because of hot and damp whether and ill-prepared water supply. At the same time, whole Japan saw natural disasters like earthquake and tsunami and suffered huge expansion of maladies.

As described before, ancient people thought ousted persons of Goryo causes epidemics and natural disasters. The imperial court gave Urabeno-Hiramaro (卜部日良麻呂), the priest of Gion-sya, an order to hold Goryo-e, the ritual to calm down Goryos at Shinsen-en (神泉苑), the largest pond in ancient Kyoto. (The picture above.).

上賀茂神社の剣矛

He put the spirit of the deities of the temple into three portable shrines and sent them from Gion-sya to Shinsen-en and placed 66 hokos (矛) there (We don’t have exact idea of their appearance but I suppose they looked like these hokos in the picutre above). His aim was to put the evil spirits together and have them descended to the hokos and ask the deities to get rid of them.

This ritual is called Gion-goryo-e, the origin of Gion matsuri festival. In the begging, the Goryo-e was held when epidemics expanded, and became annual event in 970. Since then, the festival was carried on for 1000 years despite of some interruption.

Gion matsuri festival today

御旅所

As indicated before, Shinto and Buddhism was fused and Shinto shrines and Buddhist temple were confused. In 1868, the Meiji government gave an order to shrines and temples. They were forced to make decision to be a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple in terms of law. Gion-kanshinin choose to be a Shinto shrine. It became Yasaka shrine and Gion-Goryo-e was renamed as Gion matsuri.

The fact that the Buddhist temple became a Shinto shrine does not mean a reincarnation of the Gion matsuri. Many documents prove that Gion-kanshinin worked and was considered as Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine: it held Buddhist ritual and that of Shinto.

That is a reason why the principle of Gion matsuri festival still remains the same though 1000 years of its history. People bring Deities on the portable shrines and ask them to get rid of evil spirits which gathered by Yamahoko floats.

七里ヶ浜親方
七里ヶ浜親方

Want to know much more? Check them out, old sport!

Gion Matsuri Festival
Articles on the reason why Gion Matusri is cerebrated, Mikoshi, Yamahoko Parade, Schedule, and others

Attention: The schedule of Gion Matsuri might change. Check out the website of Yasaka Shrine.

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Must-sees 1: General 総論

Syncretism of Shinto, Buddhism, and Onmyodo 神道、仏教、陰陽道、道教の混淆

Gion Matsuri is a Matsuri of Yaska shrine. The shrine used to be a Buddhist temple under the syncretism of Shinto, Buddhism, Onmyodo. The syncretism is called Shinbutsu Shugo and used to be found anywhere in Japan.

たけちよ
たけちよ

Shinbutsu Shugo means synctetism, co-existance, and fusion of Shinto and Buddhism but usually Onmyodo or Taoism are also fused with them.

In 1868, Meiji government asked Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to separate these fused religions. Gion-sha made a decision to be a Shinto shrine called Yasaka shrine but the bond among the Shinto, Buddhism, and Onmyoto is still alive in Gion Matsuri.

七里ヶ浜親方
七里ヶ浜親方

The aim of Gion Matsuri is to get rid of epidemics. Yaska shrine enshrined Susanoho no Mikoto, the Shinto deity but we can find no particular reason why he has such an ability. He was considered to be a Gozu Tenno, the Onmyodo detiy. And with the story of Gozu Tenno,

he is able to put down epidemics.

Nigimitama and Aramitama 和魂と荒魂の和合

There are four kinds of Mitama(御霊), the spirit in a Japanese deity; Nigimitama, Aramitama, Sakimitama, and Kushimitama.

  • Nigimitama 和魂=Tender spirit
  • Aramitama 荒魂=Fierce spirit
  • Sakimitama 幸魂=Sprit bring us benefits
  • Kushimitama 奇魂=Sprit bring us benefit weird things

In Matsuri in Japan, Nigimitama and Aramitama of a deity are often put together for the purpose of making the deity reincarnated. In Gion Matsuri, the Nigimitama of Susanoh no Mikoto meets the Aramitama of him (Kuze Komagata Chigo) and the reincarnation is completed.

シカさん
シカさん

Mikage Matsuri plays the same role in Aoi Matsuri.

Shaking Mikoshis 神輿を振る

People shake Mikoshis to make the Mitamas of the deities come alive.

Yamahoko floats play impotant role 神賑神事たる山鉾巡行の神事への近接

Matsuri consists of Shinji (神事 ritual/ceremony held by Shrine or act for deity) and Kaminigiwai (神賑 ceremony held by secular people or act the secure people ).

たけちよ
たけちよ

For example, in Gion Matsuri, the priests bring the Mitamas of the deities into the Mikoshis. It its a Shinji. Without the priests or the deities, it couldn’t be carried on.  Of course there are lots of people around Mikoshis to give the deities prayers but without them, the priests can complete the duty. For this Shinji, the people are kind of bystanders.

On the other hand, at Yoiyama, there are food stands. They belong to Gion matsuri and the secular prepares for food stands and the secular buy foods. It’s a Kaminigiwai.

Kaminigiwai makes a contribution especially for the seculars.

Yamahoko parade could be originally a Kaminigiwai but it grew up to be a de facto Shinji ‘cause it plays the important role: To gather Eikjins to be done away with by the deities brought by the priests.