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The Hollyhock Festival is an annual festival of the shrines Shimogamo-jinja and Kamigamo-jinja.It is regarded as the most elegant of all festivals in this country. The Hollyhock Festival was also called the Northern Festival, in contrast to the Southern Festival of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine. "Aoi" in Aoi Matsuri refers to the hollyhock plant. On the day of the festival procession, imperial shrines, the dress of the people taking part in the procession, the imperial carriage, the carts and the horses and oxen drawing them, are all decorated with leaves and branches of the hollyhock plant. The Hollyhock Festival was originally a state festival held by imperial order. For this reason, ordinary townsfolk did not take part, unlike other festivals. It is the only festival that perpetuates the refined traditions and customs of the Heian court (Heian period: 794 - 1185). |
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Today's Hollyhock Festival consists of two rituals - the procession and the shrine rites.The central figure in the procession is the Saio-dai. In olden times, this position was taken by an unmarried woman of the imperial family. She is accompanied by imperial servants, the aristocracy, carriages, horses and oxen, all adorned with a wide variety of ornate decorations that are reminiscent of the ancient court. During the Heian period, the townspeople turned out in great numbers to watch the procession pass along the city avenues. The "carriage rivalry" referred to in "The Tale of Genji" captures the bustle of carriages, people and animals in the procession. Led by the Imperial Messenger and other representatives of the old imperial court, the procession leaves Kyoto Imperial Palace and heads northward, unfolding a panorama of the Heian court along the way. It stops at Shimogamo-jinja Shrine, and then continues to Kamigamo-jinja Shrine. |
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A magnificent procession of lavishly dressed and decorated participants makes its way through the city streets, with the Higashiyama and Kitayama mountains as the backdrop.This is in essence a scene from the Kyoto of long ago. Rites are conducted at the shrines by the head priests and their subordinates, before the arrival of the Imperial Messenger. The Messenger presents offerings at each shrine, after which ritual dances and other ceremonies are held for the deities. Although the shrine rites are not generally open to the public, a limited number of people can attend at Shimogamo-jinja Shrine. A reservation is needed, so please apply. |
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