May. 16, 2022 UPDATE

Fujinomori Matsuri

- 藤森祭 -
Traveler Friendly
This is a popular ritual and every year many tourists go to the shrine to see it. The staff can only speak Japanese but you should be able to enjoy this ritual just by looking.
Information
Only Japanese.
Languages spoken
Only Japanese.
PeriodMay 1 to 5.
VenueFujinomori Shrine
1631 9 --- 0 reviews
May. 16, 2022 UPDATE

Fujinomori Matsuri

- 藤森祭 -
Traveler Friendly
This is a popular ritual and every year many tourists go to the shrine to see it. The staff can only speak Japanese but you should be able to enjoy this ritual just by looking.
Information
Only Japanese.
Languages spoken
Only Japanese.
1631 9 --- 0 reviews
PeriodMay 1 to 5.
VenueFujinomori Shrine
Story & Recommendation
The Fujinomori Shrine’s Fujinomori Matsuri festival is a chance to see skilled Japanese riders show off their draw dropping trick riding
Every May 1 through 5, the Fujinomori Shrine in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward holds their famous Fujinomori Matsuri festival.
During the festival, food stalls fill the shrine grounds, portable shrines are paraded through the shrine, there are Japanese taiko drum performances, and there’s even a samurai parade!
It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the Fujinomori Matsuri is a big deal to Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward.
However, out of all the festival’s many, well, festivities, the “Kakeuma Shinji” horse-riding ceremony held on May 5 where representatives of the shrine put their incredible skills on horseback on display can’t be missed!
At the Japanese imperial court, there were five sacred “sekku” annual rituals. The ritual held of May 5 was to pray for boys to grow up big and strong. This ritual was called either “Shobu no sekku” or “Tango no sekku.” As the word “shobu” is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for “contest” (evidently also “shobu”), this ritual came to feature trick riding as a form of prayer for the safe return of and victory on the battlefield for samurai.
This jaw-dropping ritual is one that you soon won’t forget, so if you’re in Kyoto on May 5, make sure you take the short trip down to the Fushimi Ward and check it out.

*Fujinomori Shrine is sometimes mistakenly called Fujimori Shrine, and the festival is also sometimes called Fujimori Matsuri, but Fujinomori Matsuri is the correct name.
  • Sharing Kyoto Staff
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Details
Event time
・Shinkosai procession on May 5 from 7 a.m. ・Kakeumashinji horse-riding May 5 from 1 p.m. and from 3p.m.
Cancellations
If it only rains a little the event will not be canceled.
Price range
Free to watch.
Credit cards
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