It’s the last day of Obon, and the spirits of the dead are preparing to leave Kyoto on their journey back to the otherworld. What is it with Japanese and spirits? Ghostly figures haunt their imagination, and Noh is filled … Read the rest
Category: Festivals (Page 26 of 26)
Hakone Shrine is often photographed because of its picturesque torii in Lake Ashi. It stands in the midst of a pleasant resort area with views of Mt Fuji (on a clear day), and I was lucky enough to be there … Read the rest
MITARASHI MATSURI at Shimogamo Jinja July 21-24, from 5.30-22.30
Summer in Kyoto is hot, hot and humid! At this time of year all one wants to do is wade through cold water. Well, that’s just what you get to do … Read the rest
Green Shinto supporter Paul Carty has introduced a fascinating article on ‘The Gion Shrine and the Gion Festival’ by Helen Chapin in Journal of the American Oriental Society vol. 54, no. 3 (1934). She suggests a phallic nature to the … Read the rest
It’s festival time in Kyoto and the city is in full festive mode. Gion Festival is one of the country’s grandest affairs, lasting a month in all, but at its heart is the procession of floats on July 17th, and … Read the rest
Feb 11 was a national holiday in Japan in honour of Japan’s legendary founder-emperor, Jimmu. My friend rang me up in the morning and suggested going to a fertility festival. I did not realise it, but it happened to take … Read the rest