The annual events of the Fushimi-inari-shrine

Fushimiinari-shrine Events for the 2024 Calender year^* Saijiki(The table of annual events)

DATE	EVENT	DETAILS
Jan. 1^st at 　6:00 A.M.	Saitan_sai [Festival of the first New Year morning]	People offer the first New Year Morning praying for prosperity of their family, abundant harvest and enduring peace in the whole world. The sacred maidens of the shrine sell the arrows, each of which is attached with a charm tablet. The tablet is painted with the picture of the 12 annual zodiac animals or the clay dolls. On this day, men and women of all ages from all over Japan come to pray to the Fushimiinari-shrine God.
Jan. 5^th - at 12:00 AM for the Ceremony at the Main hall - at 1:30 PM for the Ceremony on the mountain	Ooyama_sai [Festival on the mountain]	Shimehari_shinji is the event when the priests hang the sacred straw festoon on seven god relics of Inari_Yama (mountain) at daybreak. After completing the rituals in the main hall of Fushimiiari at daybreak, the priests pray at the Gozendani. Afterwards, they go around the seven relics of Inari_Yama with the necklace of Hikagenokazura.
Jan. 12^th at 2:00 PM	Housya_sai [Festival of arrow shooting]	After the ceremony in the main hall of Inari shrine, the ceremony of Housya is performed at the mountain site for religious services. At first, the presiding assistant-priest shot a square universe with the god arrow; then two priests shot the center of the sacred straw rope called a king snake. In old days, people believed a good or bad harvest of staple grains in the current year is predicted by how the target is pierced. These days, people practice these traditional ceremonies to expel evil spirits, and to entreat for good harvest of staple crops and for the prosperity of one’s own business.
Feb. 3^th from 9:00 AM	Setsubun_sai [Festival of the last day of winter and also for the bean-scattering]	At the turning point of season (i.e. winter and spring), people perform traditional ceremonies to expel evil spirits and to wish for luck. Blessed men, women, and lady (who are the believers or female students) perform the bean-scattering ceremony event. The bean-scattering ceremony is performed three times at the following hours: after the main shrine festival, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm.
Feb. 12^nd at 8:00 am （"Hatsuuma" according to the old calendar）	Hatsuuma_taisai [Festival of the new spring]	"Uma" means horse in Japanese and is one of the twelve animals of the Oriental zodiac."Hatsu" means "First". Hatsu-uma means the first horse day of the year. Ookami (The great God) is originally enshrined in this place on this day. For this day, the believers come from all over Japan to gather at the front of the main hall and even at the mountain site for the religious services. To visit the Fushimiinari shrine on this day is called Hatsuuma Moude (i.e. Pray for Hatsuuma) or Fukumairi (i.e. Pray for attaining happiness). This is the first great festival of the early spring. The ancient people had described the scene of this festival in the novels or Japanese poems since the Heian period (～794 A.D.). The ornament of Aoyama decorates the main hall and the mountain site for the religious service. Believers continuously flock the main hall to receive the sign of ceder (Shirushi no Sugi) at the main hall. Furthermore, the priest performs the Otsukataisai (a hillock grand festival) at the worship place of Gozendai on the first day of horse in February according to the February of the lunar calendar.
Feb. 17^th at 10:00 AM	Kinen_sai [Festival for harvest prayer]	This is the grand festival during which we pray for abundant harvest of all farm produce and for the prosperity of industry.
Apr. 7^that 1:00 PM	Sangyo_sai [Festival for industry prayer]	This festival is about showing gratitude to "Inari Ookami" (Great ancestral Inari God) who has been providing food, clothing and shelter. We are thankful for the constant kindness and the success of diverse industries as we continue to pray for the attainment of prosperity. The court dancer who put on a butterfly costume performs "Oukanomai"(Dance of Cherry blossom) to the tune of the ceremonial court music of Japan at the Kaguraden (Dancing place). A short poem for the cherry blossom follows: 　Miyabito no Hana wo Tegotoni Kamimatsuru 　　Tokikinikerashi Haruno Mitegura 　　　　　　　　(Author:Tameoki Ooyama) 　Because every courtier with flower in hand is praying to god. 　　Spring has arrived. 　Kumoyatatsu Kasumiya Magau Yamazakura 　　Hanayorihokamo Hanatomiyuramu 　　　　　　　　　(Author:Syunzei Fujiwara) 　I mistook the cherry blossom for the haze in the cloudy mountain. 　 I mistook the blossom for something else.
Apr. 12^th at 11:00 AM	Minakuchihasyu_sai [Festival of seeding]	When people bring over the rice seeds to the rice field for sowing, they pray for bountiful growth of rice with the divine protection of Ookami (Great God). A ceremony of seeding is held by the believers of Mishima of Osaka Hatsuhokou at the sacred rice field after the main shrine festival.
Apr. 21^th at 11:00 AM	Inari_sai (Sinkou_sai) [Start of the Inari festival]	Inari Ookami (God of the harvest) makes an inspection tour of the agricultural area (Ubusuna-chi) once a year and spreads the blessing of God. This is the most important festival of Fushimiinari shrine when Goshinji (Symbol of God) is transferred to the 5 sacred palanquins decorated by priests after the Shinkousai at 11:00 AM. The priests of Fushimiinari shrine, parishioners and reverent persons carry the sacred palanquins at 2:00 PM and then leave the shrine to make an inspection tour of the agricultural area (Ubusuna-chi). They continue on to the resting place (Otabisyo) which is located at the southern part of Kyoto station, arriving there at about 3:00 PM. They then enter to deposit Goshinji in the enshrinement hall to allow the parishioners to worship until May 3.
May. 3^rdstarting from 9:00 AM and ending at 4:00 PM	Inari_sai (kankou_sai) [End of the Inari festival]	People decorate the inner sanctuary with ornament of "Aoi Katsura" made of hollyhock and Katsura leaves for the return of Goshinji (Symbol of God) to the main hall. This ceremony named "Aoi Katsura Housyoku no Gi" (The ceremony of dedication of Aoi Katsura) starts at 9:00:A.M. The 5 sacred palanquins completed with the ornament leave the resting place (Otabisyo) at 2:00 P.M. Then they make an inspection tour of the agricultural area (Ubusuna-chi) lined with thirty rows of believers. After they arrive at the main hall of Fushimiinari at about 4:00 PM, they deposit the Goshinji (Symbol of God) in the sanctuary of Fushimiinari. They then give praises for the safe completion of this ceremony.
Jun. 10^th at 1:00 PM	Otaue_sai [Rice planting festival]	The rice seeds planted by the people during the Minakuchihasyu_sai (The ceremony of seeding) held on April 12 in the Shinden (God's rice field) have now grown into rice seedlings. The people now pray for bountiful autumn harvest all over Japan. After the main festival in the main hall, the believers of Mishima of Osaka Hatsuhoko serve the Otaue no Gi (The ceremony of planting rice seedling) at the Shinden while the Kagura dancers dressed with Kazami (Ancient Japanese dress for the noble) dance the graceful Otamai (Dance of planting rice) at the main hall and Shinden.
Jun. 30^th at　3:00 PM	Ooharaisiki [Purification festival]	Known as "Nagoshi No Harai", it means to pray for surviving through the summer. We place our wrongdoings, which we have accumulated either consciously or unconsciously over our daily life since the New Year's Day, into a paper doll and let it flow into sea and river. Moreover, the "Circle of a cogon (Chi no Wa)" is available in the area between the tower gate and the outside hall of worship. It is an ancient belief that we can avoid sickness and trouble by going through one of this circle.
July 20^th at 3:00 PM and July 21^th at 9:00 AM	Yoimiya_sai [The eve of the main festival] Honmiya_sai [The main festival]	Yoimiya-sai (i.e. the Eve of the main festival) is performed at 6:00 pm and followed by Manto shinji (i.e. ten thousand lights of Shinto ritual). At first, the priest initiates the Hikiri Shinji (i.e. Making sacred fire) ritual during which he lights the garden lanterns on the left and right sides of an inner gate. Then, the members of the religious association and believers with lighted lanterns form a line in the front area of Fusimiinari shrine, along the pathway leading to the Shrine and all over the Inari mountain. At the same time, a number of large red paper lanterns are offered up within the compound. These lanterns are each recorded with the names of those who offered them. These lanterns are kept lit for two days. Honmiya Odori (i.e. Main shrine dance) is performed merrily at a square in the front of the gathering hall. On this evening, the neighborhood association of Fushimiinsri shrine contributes this Honmiya Odori dance performance. The pictures of the four hundred and tens paper-covered lamps are donated by the two hundred or so painters who live in the nearby suburbs. These pictures are exhibited at the outside of the worship hall for a couple of days. They are spectacularly colorful.
Sept. 1^st at　9:00 AM	Kotsuanzen_sai [Traffic safety blessing]	People pray for the road safety and the prosperity in their livelihood. The priest holds a purification ceremony for cars at the Haraidokoro (an area specifically set up for the event) from September 1^st to the 7^th.
Oct. 25^that 11:00 AM	Nukiho_sai [The harvest festival]	The festival of harvesting rice is the gathering of rice crop which was seeded during the Minakuchi festival in April and planted during the rice planting festival in June. The harvested rice is to be offered at the Niiname festival on November 23^th. Moreover, the harvested straws are to be burned during Hitaki festival (The ceremony of making the sacred fire) on November 8^th.
Nov. 8^th at 1:00 PM	Hitaki_sai [The sacred fire festival]	The priest burns the straws gathered from the matured rice crop abundantly harvested this year for the anniversary fire. The Kokukami (The Grain god) is then sent to Mototsu-Mikura where the priest prays for the advent of Ookami (GreatGod) at the next new year. In this anniversary fire, the priest burns skewers which were received from the members of religious association and believers from all over Japan, and prays for home safety, remission of sins and abundant happiness in the future. The ceremony at the main hall is performed from 1:00 pm. Then the Hitaki ritual is continued in the mountain festival area. The fire scorches the clear sky of the early winter making it reddish, and keeps burning long until the evening. Mikagura (A performance of sacred Shinto music and dancing) is performed in the front garden of the main shrine from 6:00 PM. The Shinto priests perform the music and dancing. They play Japanese traditional shrine music such as Honka (Original Waka poem song), Sueuta (Response Waka song), Wakin (Japanese harp), Fue (Japanese flute) and Hitiriki (Flageolet-like Japanese instrument). This Mikagura is a very solemn Shinto ritual which also includes 2 hours of absolute silence and holy darkness.
Nov. 23^th at 10:00 AM	Niiname_sai [The harvest thanksgiving festival]	This festival is performed to thank Ookami (Great God) for this year's good harvest and the peace of the world. The newly harvested rice at Nukiho matsuri (The festival of harvesting rice) is consecrated.
Dec. 31^th at 3:00 PM	Ooharai_sai [The great purification festival]	According to the Japanese folk tale, people believe that a year is divided into two parts, the first half and the second half. The purification for the first half is the ceremony of Ooharaisiki (i.e., The celebration of purification) in June and the 2nd half is this ceremony in December. People pray to expel evil spirits and welcome the new year with a rejuvenated mind and body.
Dec. 31^th at 4:00 PM	Joya_sai [The New Year's Eve festival]	This festival is to express gratitude for being safe the whole year round.
*The schedule for the Fushimiinari Taisha events in this table is based on the Fushimiinari bulletin of ‘Ooinari’. The specific dates may vary according to the specific year.
Thanks to Mr. D.M.