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Ennogyoja Yama of Gion Matsuri Festival
Ennogyoja Yama of Gion Matsuri Festival
The information of Ennogyoja Yama is presented here. Ennogyoja Yama is a small-sized Yamahoko float (Kakiyama float), and its symbol is a pine tree reaching vertically to the sky. Ennogyoja Yama Goma-daki is held, in which yamabushi (mountain monks) from Shogoin Monzeki burn the gomagi (wooden sticks) to pray for the fulfillment of wishes and for the safety of Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade).
- Location Map & Directions
- History and Brief Overview
- Features (subject to change)
- Events (confirmation required)
【Ennogyoja Yama Location Map & Directions】
Address: Ennogyojayama-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Access (How to get there): Subway Karasuma Oike Station (about 2 minutes on foot), Subway Shijo Station (about 12 minutes on foot), Hankyu Karasuma Station (about 10 minutes on foot)
Location: Ennogyoja Yama is located on Muromachi-dori, about 10 meters south of the intersection of Muromachi-dori (north-south) and Anekoji-dori (east-west).
【Ennogyoja Yama History and Brief Overview】
The origin of Ennogyoja Yama (役行者山) is not clear. In the “Gionshaki”, which describes the names of Yamahoko floats and places in the middle of the Muromachi period (1336-1573) before the Onin War (1467-1477), it is written as “Ennogyoja Yama ゑんの行者山 (between Anekoji Muromachi and Sanjo)”, and Ennogyoja Yama is said to have already been founded before the Onin War.
★Ennogyoja Yama is derived from the legend that En no Gyoja (En no Odunu), the founder of the Shugendo sect, built a stone bridge between Katsuragi and Omine in Nara using Hitokotonushi-no-kami. En no Gyoja (En no Odunu) was a magical monk from the Asuka period (592-710) to the Nara period (710-794), and is said to have cured the illness of Fujiwara no Kamatari (Nakatomi no Kamatari). It is said that when En no Gyoja was a teenager, he studied the magic of Kujaku Myoo at Gangoji Temple in Nara, continued his mountain training in Katsuragi, Kumano, and Omine, sensed Kongo Zao Dai-Gongen at Mt. Kinpu Yoshino, and laid the foundation for Shugendo, which combines ancient mountain worship (religions) in Japan and foreign esoteric Buddhism. In the Edo period (1603-1867), it is said that he was given the posthumous title of Jinpen Dai-Bosatsu by the emperor. It is also said that Hitokotonushi-no-kami appeared to the 21st Emperor Yusaku while he was hunting in Katsuragi, and is said to be the same deity as Katsuragi-no-kami.
★It is also said that En no Gyoja (En no Odunu) was born in 634 in Chihara, Katsuragikami District, Yamato Province, to father Oodune and mother Shiratoume. After that, En no Gyoja studied the magic of Kujaku Myoo at Gangoji Temple, continued his mountain training in Katsuragi, Kumano, and Omine, sensed Kongo Zao Dai-Gongen at Mt. Kinpu, and laid the foundation for Shugendo, which combines ancient mountain worship (religions) in Japan and foreign esoteric Buddhism. However, his disciple Karakuni no Muraji Hirotari was jealous of his master’s abilities and slandered him at the imperial court for using demons as messengers to deceive people, and En no Gyoja was exiled to Izu Island, but in January 701, En no Gyoja was pardoned and returned to his hometown, Chihara, Gose City, and is said to have died in June at Mt. Tenjogatake, Minoh, Osaka.
*reference・・・Ennogyoja Yama website
【Features (subject to change)】
★The Goshintai (deity figure) is En no Gyoja (En no Odunu), Hitokotonushi-no-kami, and Katsuragi-no-kami. En no Gyoja (En no Odunu) is seated in a cave, holding a sunboshi (hat), a kara (kesa), a kyokan (sutra scroll), and a shakujo (tin cane). Hitokotonushi-no-kami is in the form of a demon, wearing a shaguma (red bear) and holding an axe in his hand. Katsuragi-no-kami is in the form of a woman holding a horin on a rindai (ring-shaped stand) in her hand.
★The mizuhiki is a tsudurenishiki with the “Karakoyu-zu” painting by Nishiyama Kanshichi, and the do-kake (side) is a tsudurenishiki with the cloud-dragon wave pattern. The mae-kake is a sanmaitsugi consisting of the “Botan Kocho-zu (peony and butterfly)” and the cloud dragon wave pattern, but it was replaced by a replica in 1997. The miokuri (back) was a combination of two pieces of the dragon pattern, which is said to have been solicited by Taichu Shonin, and an anrakuanzaki (Akaji Kokinran), other miokuri (back) was a tsudurenishiki with the “Kinji Tobijin-zu (Chinese beauties)” made in a government factory during the Min dynasty in China, but they were replaced by a replica with the “Kinji Tobijin-zu (Chinese beauties)” in 1982.
★The happi (coat) worn by the kakite was replaced by a replica in 2001.
★Chimaki, which have benefits such as warding off disease,, traffic safety, and safe childbirth, amulets for warding off disease,, amulets for safe childbirth, etc. are available for purchase.
【Events (confirmation required)】
★In Latter Festival Yoiyama from July 21st to July 23rd, Komagata-chochin lanterns of Ennogyoja Yama are lit and Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) is played in the evening.
★In Ennogyoja Yama Goma-daki on July 23th, yamabushi (mountain monks) from Shogoin Monzeki burn the gomagi (wooden sticks) to pray for the fulfillment of wishes and for the safety of Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko.
★In Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade) on July 24th, Yamahoko floats, including Ennogyoja Yama depart from Karasuma-Oike and parade along Oike-dori, Kawaramachi-dori, and Shijo-dori.
【Ennogyoja Yama 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・・・)