Naginatahoko-cho Osendo of Gion Matsuri

The information of Naginatahoko-cho Osendo is presented here. Naginatahoko-cho Osendo is held every year on July 1st. In Naginatahoko-cho Osendo, the officers of Naginatahoko-cho (town), accompanied by Chigo (Iki-Chigo) and two Kamuro who assist Chigo, visits Yasaka Shrine to report at Honden (main shrine) that Chigo and Kamuro have been chosen and to pray for the safety of the ritual (Gion Matsuri Festival). Afterwards, Chigo, Kamuro and others walk around Honden (main shrine) 3 times clockwise, stopping at the front and back to pray.

• Naginatahoko-cho Osendo 2024 Schedule
• Naginatahoko-cho Osendo map ＆ access
• Naginatahoko-cho Osendo brief overview

【Naginatahoko-cho Osendo 2024 Schedule (confirmation required)】

Naginatahoko-cho Osendo 2024 will be held on Monday, July 1st, 2024 at 10:00.
●Gion Matsuri Festival 2024 will start on July 1st, 2024 and end on July 31st, 2024.
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)

【Naginatahoko-cho Osendo of Gion Matsuri brief overview】

Naginatahoko-cho Osendo (長刀鉾町お千度, 長刀鉾町お千度の儀) of Gion Matsuri Festival (祇園祭) is held every year on July 1st. In Naginatahoko-cho Osendo, the officers of Naginatahoko-cho (town), accompanied by Chigo (Iki-Chigo) and two Kamuro who assist Chigo, visits Yasaka Shrine to report at Honden (main shrine) that Chigo and two Kamuro have been chosen and to pray for the safety of the ritual (Gion Matsuri Festival). Then, Chigo, two Kamuro and others walk around Honden (main shrine) 3 times clockwise, stopping at the front and back to pray. However, the officers are not allowed to hold hands with Chigo and two Kamuro head with their bare hands, but rather hold hands through a white cloth and walk around Honden (main shrine). 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. By the way, it is said that in the past, a group of more than 300 people walked around Honden (the main shrine) three times, making a total of 1,000 laps.

★Chigo (Iki-Chigo) and two Kamuro are selected at early June. Chigo and two Kamuro are chosen from boys around the age of 10, and they are adopted through yuino-no-gi (betrothal ceremony) with Naginatahoko-cho town officials. At Chigo’s home, the priests of Yasaka Shrine enshrine the main deity of Yasaka Shrine, Susano-no-mikoto (Gozutenno), and the head of the family makes offerings every morning. Among the yamahoko floats of the Gion Matsuri Festival, Naginata Hoko is the only one with a Chigo (ikichigo) riding on it. In addition, it is said that two Kamuro are modeled after the tayu (geisha) of the Hanamachi (Kagai) district who are accompanied by two Kamuro (young girls).
★Honden (Main Shrine) was rebuilt in 1654 by Tokugawa Ietsuna, the 4th shogun of the Edo shogunate. Honden enshrines Susano-no-mikoto, Kushi-inadahime-no-mikoto, and Yahashi-no-mikogami (eight children of Susano-no-mikoto).
★The origin of Naginata Hoko (Naginata Boko) is not clear. It is said that Naginata Hoko was founded in 1441 or before 1441. It is also said that Naginata Hoko was founded by using a great long sword donated to Yasaka Shrine in 1225. Naginata Hoko is said to be the oldest Yamahoko float of Gion Matsuri Festival in existence today. 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 “Naginata Hoku (between Shijo Totoin and Karasuma)”. The name “Naginata Hoko (Naginata Boko)” comes from the fact that there is a great long sword attached to the tip of Yamahoko float, which exorcises plague and evil. The great long sword used to be a great long sword made by Sanjo Kokaji Munechika, a great long sword made by Sanjo Nagakichi in 1522, and a great long sword made by Izumi-no-kami Raikinmichi in 1675, but now a replica of bamboo with tin foil is used. In addition, the great long sword is mounted facing south so that the cutting edge of the great long sword does not face the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Yasaka Shrine. The great long sword made by Sanjo Kokaji Munechika was consecrated to Yasaka Shrine by Munechika to pray for the healing of his daughter’s illness. It was then used by samurai in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), but it was returned due to a series of mysterious events. It is said that the plague that was prevalent in 1522 subsided when it was decorated in Naginatahoko-cho according to God’s announcement.

【Naginatahoko-cho Osendo 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・・・）