The Gion Maturi(Gion Festival)

Intoroduction and History Gion Maturi(Gion Festival)no.1

Shinto, the indigenous faith of japan, is worshipped of shrines throughout the country. The coception of deity in Shinto is quite obscre; deities can be natural phenomena, natural objects, famous men both alive and dead. these deities are invoked for aid and thanksgiving in all aspects of life; for crops, weather, health, family welfare, peace for the nation. Despite the intoroduction of Buddhism into japan in the sixth century, Shinto belifes remained widesread among the common pepole of japan. Rather than one religon supplanting the other, they have influenced each other and interacted throughout japanese history.

According to japanese mythology, the heavenry deities enjoined two amangst their midst to create the land and peopole of japan. Of their approximately three hundred and fifty children, the two most importat were Amaterasu-o-mi-kami (the Sun Goddes) and Susano-o-no-mikoto (the Sea God) . Susano-o-no-mikoto constantly invaded his sister's territory in order to quarrel with her. After his most destrucfive intrusion , Amateras-o-mi-kami closed herself into a mountain cave, thereby depriving the world of light and warmth. To lure her out of her hiding, the other deities performed the first Shinto festival.

The history of the Gion festival is almost as long as the history of the City of Kyoto itself. in the year 869, national disaster struk japan. Every summer, disease and sickness would infect the population, but in 869 the epidemic reahed national proportions. In order to check this epidemic, the Emperor Seiwa requested the chief priset of the Yasak Shrin to hold festival. So, on the seventh day of sixth month of the lunar calendar in 869, the first Gion Festival took place. The townspeople built sixty-six floots which they carried through the streets of the old capital. One week later, the deities of Yasaka Shrine, which include Susano-o-no-mikoto, were placed in protable shrine and carried post homes to purify streets and protect the inhabitants form the evil spirits which had caused the epidemic. The Yasaka Shrine's status among the shrine of Kyoto and its prestige steadily increased from this date.