Hoen Onmasakaki-tate of Gion Matsuri

The information of Hoen Onmasakaki-tate is presented here. Hoen Onmasakaki-tate is held every year on July 16th. In Hoen Onmasakaki-tate, the onmasakaki that leads Nakagoza Mikoshi (portable shrine) during Shinko-sai (Oide) and purifies the route of the mikoshi procession is assembled to resemble a Yamahoko float, and white gohei is attached.

• Hoen Onmasakaki-tate 2024 Schedule
• Hoen Onmasakaki-tate map ＆ access
• Hoen Onmasakaki-tate brief overview

【Hoen Onmasakaki-tate 2024 Schedule (confirmation required)】

Hoen Onmasakaki-tate 2024 will be held on Tuesday, July 16th, 2024 at 9:00
●Gion Matsuri Festival 2024 will start on July 1st, 2024 and end on July 31st, 2024.
Gion Matsuri Festival Schedule (July 1st-31st)

【Rakuo Elementary School Location Map ＆ Directions】

Address: Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Access (How to get there): Subway Shijo Station (about 5 minutes on foot), Hankyu Karasuma Station (about 7 minutes on foot)

【Hoen Onmasakaki-tate of Gion Matsuri brief overview】

Hoen Onmasakaki-tate (豊園御真榊建) of Gion Matsuri Festival (祇園祭) is held every year on July 16th. Hoen Onmasakaki-tate is held in the community hall of Rakuo Elementary School (former Hoen Elementary School). In Hoen Onmasakaki-tate, the onmasakaki that leads Nakagoza Mikoshi (portable shrine) during Shinko-sai (Oide) and purifies the route of the mikoshi procession is assembled to resemble a Yamahoko float, and white gohei is attached. By the way, the onmasakaki originally led not only Nakagoza Mikoshi, but also Hgashigoza Mikoshi and Nishigoza Mikoshi, but the onmasakaki leading Nakagoza Mikoshi and Nishigoza Mikoshi ceased to exist and only the onmasakaki leading Hgashigoza Mikoshi remained. Later, in 1992, the onmasakaki began to lead Nakagoza Mikoshi instead of Hgashigoza Mikoshi. In addition, the onmasakaki was once served by Senshoji-cho (town), but it became difficult for one town to continue serving it, so the entire Hoen school district (Hoen Sakaki Hosankai) came to serve it. the onmasakaki is purified by priests of Yasaka Shrine in Yoiyama, and the divine spirits of Yasaka Shrine are welcomed.

★Nakagoza Mikoshi carries the divine spirit of Susano-no-mikoto, the main deity of Yasaka Shrine. Higashigoza Mikoshi carries the divine spirit of Kushiinadahime-no-mikoto, the wife of Susano-no-mikoto. Nishigoza Mikoshi carries the divine spirits of Yahashira-no-mikogami, the eight children of Susano-no-mikoto. Nakagoza Mikoshi has a hexagonal roof decorated with a phoenix (houo) and a purple kesagake representing the male deity. Nakagoza Mikoshi is said to weigh about 2 tons. Nakagoza Mikoshi is served by the Sanwaka Shinyo-kai and is also known as Sanwaka Mikoshi. The Sanwaka Shinyo-kai is said to have originated from the Sanjodai Wakachu, which served from around 1690.
★Sakaki is a small evergreen tree belonging to the sakaki genus of the mokkoku family. Sakaki has been used in Shinto rituals since ancient times as the dwelling place of a deity, as it is believed that the deity dwells in the pointed tips of the plant’s branches. Some shrines, such as Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto, use sakaki as a sacred tree. The word “sakaki” is derived from “sakaki (境木)”, which means the boundary between gods and humans, and is given the character “sakaki (榊)”, which is made in Japan.
★Gohei is also called “nusa” or “heisoku”, and is used in Shinto rituals. Gohei can used as a yorishiro for a god or as an object of worship. By the way, gohei usually consists of two shide (white paper) sandwiched between heigushi (bamboo or wood). In addition, it is also said that gohei has changed from something that was once offered by sandwiching it between trees when offering fuhaku to the gods.
★Rakuo Elementary School was established on April 1, 1992 (Heisei 4) by merging Gakuchi Elementary School, Toyoen Elementary School, Kaichi Elementary School, Shutoku Elementary School, and Yurin Elementary School. Rakuo Elementary School used the building of the former Yurin Elementary School, and a new school building was completed in August 1994. The new school building has a sand-filled artificial turf field on the second floor and a retractable covered swimming pool on the fourth floor.

【Hoen Onmasakaki-tate 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・・・）