Iwashimizu-sai: The Ritual in the Gloom in Respect for All Life

Overview

Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu lies in the southwest of Kyoto Prefecture. On September 15, this shrine holds the Iwashimizu-sai. This some 1,000-year-old festival is held in prayer for the peace of all living things. In the darkness at 2 a.m., the mystical ritual begins with three mikoshi portable shrines, on which the deities ride, departing down the mountain. The scene is a living manifestation of ancient picture scrolls. Discover the Kyotoites' respect for life through this festival's rituals.