Kakkyo Yama of Gion Matsuri Festival

Kakkyo Yama of Gion Matsuri Festival

The information of Kakkyo Yama is presented here. Kakkyo Yama is a small-sized Yamahoko float (Kakiyama float), and its symbol is a pine tree reaching vertically to the sky. Kakkyo Yama has the Hioishoji covered with oil paper as its roof, giving it a unique design that is different from other Yamaboko floats. Kakkyo Yama was the last of Kakiyama floats without wheels, but wheels were added in 1966.

【Kakkyo Yama Location Map & Directions】

Address: Kakkyoyama-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Access (How to get there): Subway Shijo Station (about 10 minutes on foot), Hankyu Karasuma Station (about 8 minutes on foot)
Location: Kakkyo Yama is located on Shijo-dori, about 60 meters west of the intersection of Shinmachi-dori (north-south) and Shijo-dori (east-west).

【Kakkyo Yama History and Brief Overview】

The origin of Kakkyo Yama (郭巨山) 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), Kakkyo Yama is not written, but Kakkyo Yama was written as “16th Michi Sakuyama みち作山” in the Kujisadamesho when Gion Matsuri Festival was revived in 1500 after the Onin War, Kakkyo Yama is said to have been founded around that time. It is said that “Sakuyama (作山)” in Michi Sakuyama refers to Yama float that changed the idea on Yatai float (stall) every year, and the “Michi (道)” expresses the moral idea that leads to the way of tea ceremony (茶道), kendo (剣道), judo (柔道), etc. In 1788 during the late Edo period (1603-1868), the townhouse and storehouse were completely burned down in the Tenmei-no-taika (Great Tenmei Fire), and the dolls, oyama (float), and ancient documents were also destroyed, but only the mae-kake (front), do-kake (side), and ato-kake (back), which were newly made in 1785, escaped the fire. Reconstruction of Kakkyo Yama began in 1789, and in 1794, Kakkyo Yama returned to Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade). After that, wheels were added to Kakkyo Yama from 1966. In addition, Kakkyo Yama is also called “Kamahori Yama”.

★Kakkyo Yama is derived from Kakkyo who is written as one of the Chinese historical tales of the “Nijushiko (Twenty-Four Filial Pieties)”, in which Kakkyo was unable to support his mother and child due to poverty, and when he tried to bury his child in the mountain, he dug a golden cauldron (kama) out of the ground. Kakkyo lived in poverty with his wife, his elderly mother, and his three-year-old child. The mother loved her three-year-old grandson and shared her meager food with him. So Kakkyo told his wife that children could be given in the future, but mothers could never be given again. Kakkyo told her to bury the child and support the mother. The wife could not resist Kakkyo, and when Kakkyo, with tears in his eyes, dug into the ground to bury the child, a golden cauldron (kama) came out. Kakkyo went home with the child and devoted himself to his mother. On the cauldron was written, On the cauldron was written, “This is given from heaven to the filial Kakkyo. Don’t let others steal it”.
★The “Nijushiko (Twenty-Four Filial Pieties)” was compiled by Kaku Kyoei of the Gen dynasty (China). The “Nijushiko (Twenty-Four Filial Pieties)” features 24 people who excel in filial piety so that they can serve as models for future generations. The “Nijushiko (Twenty-Four Filial Pieties)” include “Rikuseki”, “Denshin Brothers”, “Tanshi”, “Saijun”, “Binshiken”, “Koukou”, “Gomou”, “Youkou”, “Choukou Brothers”, “Teiran, “Ouhou”, “Oushou”, “Kyoushi”, “Mousou”, “Kakkyo”, “Touei”, “Shun”, “Kanbutei (Ryukou)”, “Sankoku (Kouteiken)”, “Yukenrou”, “Shujushou”, “Soushin”, “Toufujin”, “and “Rousaishi”.
*reference・・・Kakkyo Yama website

【Features (subject to change)】

★Kakkyo Yama weighs about 0.69 tons. (2008 Data) Kakkyo Yama is marked by a pine tree reaching into the sky. Unlike other Yamaboko floats, Kakkyo Yama has the Hioishoji covered with oil paper as its roof.
★Under the ranbuchi of paulownia, cherry and chrysanthemum, the chichikakushi of the “Kinjisaishiki Hosoge Monyo” pattern is used.
★The Goshintai (deity figure) of Kakkyo and doji (child) were once destroyed by fire and created by Konshotei Kuemon Toshiyasu in 1789.
The Goshintai (deity figures) are made of cypress wood, and Kakkyo is about 160 cm tall and Doji (child) is about 105 cm tall. In addition, Kakkyo is holding a hoe with a surprised expression, Doji (child) is holding a to-uchiwa (fan) in his right hand, and red and white peonies in his left hand.
★The mae-kake (front) was the rozashi of the “Tobijin Yuraku-zu (Chinese Beauty)”, made in 1785, the do-kake (side) was a sketch by Ishida Yutei and embroidery of the “Godoshibyo Ryu-zu (Dragon)” and “Chinheishi Tora-zu (Tiger)”, made by Matsuya Genbei in 1785, and the miokuri (back) was the “Sansui Sennin-zu (Hermit)”, which was a sketch by Maruyama Oushin and made in 1815, but since 1983, the mae-kake (front) was the tsudureori of the “Akikusa-zu (Fall Grass)” drawn by Uemura Shoko, the do-kake (side) was the tsudureori of the “Hananomigiwa-zu (Flower)” and “Shunsetsu-zu (Spring Snow)” drawn by Uemura Shoko, and the miokuri (back) was the tsudureori of the “Miyakonoharu-zu (Spring in the Capital)” drawn by Uemura Shoko.
★The ato-kake was the tsudureori of “Okuni Kabuki”, and the old ato-kake was the black velvet embroidery “Fukurokuju-zu”, which was renovated in 1785.
★Chimaki, which has the benefits of money and protection of the mother’s milk supply, hand towels, charms for mother’s milk, oil-absorbing paper, etc. are available for purchase.

【Events (confirmation required)】

★In Former Festival Yoiyama from July 14th to July 16th, Komagata-chochin lanterns of Kakkyo Yama are lit and Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) is played in the evening.
★In Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade) on July 17th, Yamahoko floats, including Kakkyo Yama depart from Shijo-Karasuma and parade along Shijo-dori, Kawaramachi-dori, and Oike-dori.

【Kakkyo Yama of Gion Matsuri remarks】
*Events may be rescheduled or cancelled. Also, the content of the event may have changed.
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