Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan of Gion Matsuri

The information of Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan is presented here. Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan is held every year on July 7th. In Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan, six Ayagasahoko-Chigo, dressed in white face makeup, gold eboshi (hat), and kariginu (hunting costume), visit Yasaka Shrine together with the officers of Ayagasahoko-cho (town) to pray for the safety of the ritual (Gion Matsuri Festival). In addition, Ayagasahoko-cho Osendo is also held at Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan.

• Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan Schedule
• Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan Map ＆ Access
• Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan Brief Overview

【Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan 2025 Schedule (confirmation required)】

Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan 2025 will be held on Monday, July 7th, 2025, at 14:30.
●Gion Matsuri Festival 2025 will start on July 1st, 2025 and end on July 31st, 2025.
Gion Matsuri Festival Schedule (July 1st-31st)

【Yasaka Shrine Location Map ＆ Directions】

Address: 625 Gion-machi kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Access (How to get there): Gion bus stop (short walk), Keihan Gion Shijo Station (about 5 minutes on foot), Hankyu Kyoto Kawaramachi Station (about 8 minutes on foot), Subway Shijo Station (about 20 minutes on foot)

【Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan of Gion Matsuri brief overview】

Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan (綾傘鉾稚児社参) of Gion Matsuri Festival (祇園祭) is held every year on July 7th. In Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan, the yuino-no-gi is first held, in which Ayagasahoko-cho (town) and six Chigo (six children) are adopted. Afterwards, six Chigo dressed in white face makeup, gold eboshi (hat), and kariginu (hunting costume) visit Yasaka Shrine with officers to pray for the safety of the ritual (Gion Matsuri Festival). Incidentally, six Chigo (six children) were given the senjo that recognizing them as Chigo by senjo-no-gi at Yasaka Shrine. In Ayagasahoko-cho Osendo, six Chigo and the officers walk around Honden (main shrine) three times clockwise with the hata (banner) in front, stopping at the front and back to pray. In Osendo, they do not make 1,000 laps around Honden (main shrine), but only three laps. If a large number of people make three laps around Honden (main shrine), it is considered to be about 1,000 laps.

★In Ayakasa Hoko, six Chigo lead Ayakasa Hoko and they are called “Hoko Chigo”. The reason why there are six Chigo is said to have originated from a picture drawn in an old document when Ayakasa Hoko was restored. However, it is said that six Chigo used to board Ayakasa Hoko in the past. During Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade), not only six Chigo but also the procession of Bofuri with Shakumage (red bear hair), suri-kane (gongs), fue (flutes), and shime-taiko (drums) parade together, and Bofuri-odori (dance) is performed by Bofuri with Shakumage (red bear hair) in some places.
★The origin of Ayakasa Hoko (Ayakasa Boko) is not clear. There is a record of Ayakasa Hoko in the first half of the 15th century, before the Onin War (1467-1477), and it is said to have been founded before that time. Ayakasa Hoko, together with Shijokasa Hoko (Shijo Kasaboko), is said to be Kasahoko (傘鉾) float which inherited the old style that existed before the Onin War (1467-1477). Ayakasa Hoko is also depicted in “Rakuchu Rakugai-zu Byobu (folding screen)”, owned by Bukkyo University, and other works. Ayakasa Hoko was converted into a smaller Hoko (鉾) float in 1834, but was destroyed by fire in 1864. After that, Ayakasa Hoko was revived once in 1879-1884, but it was soon suspended. In 1973, Bofuri-odori (dance) was revived with the cooperation of Mibu Rokusai Nenbutsu Kochu, and in 1979, Ayakasa Hoko was revived again and paraded in Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade). It is said that the meaning of the “Bofuri-bayashi (music)” is to ward off epidemics, as in Yasurai Matsuri of Imamiya Shrine and others.

【Ayagasahoko-Chigo Shasan of Gion Matsuri remarks】
*Events may be rescheduled or cancelled. Also, the content of the event may have changed.
祇園祭2025日程一覧（宵山屋台・山鉾巡行・・・）