Takahashi-cho Shasan of Gion Matsuri

The information of Takahashi-cho Shasan is presented here. Takahashi-cho Shasan is held every year on July 10th. In Takahashi-cho Shasan, Takahashi-cho (town), located in Higashinotoin Takatsuji visits Yasaka Shrine to pray for the safety of the ritual (Gion Matsuri Festival) and receive Shimenawa (sacred rope). Since ancient times, Takahashi-cho (town) has served for Imidake-tate, in which two Imidake (bamboos), one in the north and one in the south, are erected in Shijo Fuyacho.

• Takahashi-cho Shasan 2024 Schedule
• Takahashi-cho Shasan map ＆ access
• Takahashi-cho Shasan brief overview

【Takahashi-cho Shasan 2024 Schedule (confirmation required)】

Takahashi-cho Shasan 2024 will be held on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at 11:00.
●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)

【Takahashi-cho Shasan of Gion Matsuri brief overview】

Takahashi-cho Shasan (高橋町社参) of Gion Matsuri Festival (祇園祭) is held every year on July 10th. In Takahashi-cho Shasan, Takahashi-cho (town), located in Higashinotoin Takatsuji along Shijo-dori visits Yasaka Shrine to pray for the safety of the ritual (Gion Matsuri Festival) and receive Shimenawa (sacred rope). Since ancient times, Takahashi-cho (town) has served for Imidake-tate, in which two Imidake (bamboos), one in the north and one in the south, are erected in Shijo Fuyacho. Two Imidake (bamboos) are fixed using the straw ropes, but it is said that the straw ropes are usually wrapped 12 times, and on leap years, 13 times. Then, Morishio (salt) is placed near two Imidake (bamboos). In addition, shimenawa (sacred rope) was strung on two Imidake (bamboos) that were erected just before Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade), and after Chigo of Naginata Hoko performed Chigo-mai (Taihei-no-mai) and cut Shimenawa (sacred rope) with long sword. When Shimenawa (sacred rope) is cut, the barrier to the sacred area is opened, and 23 Yamahoko floats, the highlight of Gion Matsuri, begin their parade along Shijo-dori toward Yasaka Shrine.

★Imidake was once erected by Raigo-in, a sub-temple of Sennyuji Temple, at Shijo Higashinotoin, where Akuoji Shrine, a branch shrine of Yasaka Shrine was located, and Naginata Hoko cut Shimenawa (sacred rope) that was stretched on Imidake. It is said that at Shijo Higashinotoin near Akuoji Shrine, Imidake was erected on all sides.
★Takahashi-cho (town) is located in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture. Takahashi-cho (town) is located south of Shijo-dori and stretches from east to west of Higashinotoin-dori.
★Imidake (斎竹) is also called Imidake (忌竹) and is generally erected during Shinto rituals to prevent impurity.
★Shimenawa (sacred rope) is said to have the role of a barrier between the sacred realm (tokoyo) and this world (utsushiyo), and the role of exorcising evil spirits and disasters. It is said that the origin of Shimenawa (sacred rope) is that when Amaterasu-omikami exited Ama-no-Iwato, Futodama-no-mikoto blocked her with Shimenawa (sacred rope) so that she could not enter Ama-no-Iwato again.
★Shijo-dori runs from east to west from the stone steps in front of Yasaka Shrine (Higashi-Oji-dori) at its eastern end to Matsunoo Taisha Shrine at its western end. Shijo-dori used to run from Shin-Kyogoku-Dori on the east side to the Tenjin River area on the west side, which was known as Shijo Oji in Heian-kyo. Incidentally, Heian-kyo became the capital on November 22nd, 794 (October 22nd on the lunar calendar), when the capital was moved from Nagaoka-kyo, and it is said that Shijo Oji and other Oji streets were more than eight meters wide. Shijo-dori has been a major road and the central axis of east-west traffic since ancient times, and the intersection of Shijo-dori and Muromachi-dori, which runs north-south, was also called Hoko-no-tsuji and was the center of Shimogyo. In Shijo-dori, the Hankyu Kyoto Main Line (Kyoto Kawaramachi Station, Karasuma Station, Omiya Station, Saiin Station) runs underground from Shijo Kawaramachi on the east side to Nishioji Shijo on the west side, and from Shijo Kawaramachi on the east side to Shijo Karasuma on the west side, commercial facilities such as department stores are lined up, making it the largest downtown area in Kyoto.

【Takahashi-cho 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・・・）