This article was updated on 20 Sep 2021 to correct rail pass information.
The Yasurai Matsuri (やすらい祭), or Yasurai Festival, started in the Heian Period (794-1185) and is now held every year on the second Sunday in April at Imamiya Shrine (今宮神社, Imamiya-jinja). The festival is considered to be one of the three most unique Kyoto festivals (the other two being the Uzumasa Bull Festival ((太秦牛祭, Uzumasa Ushi Matsuri) and Kurama Fire Festival (鞍馬の火祭り, Kurama no Hi-matsuri)). The purpose of the festival is to suppress evil deities who are believed to appear in this season and spread infectious diseases. [1]
Kyoto hosts hundreds of festivals, both large and small, throughout the year. The largest and most well-know festival in Japan (not just Kyoto) is the Gion Matsuri (祇園祭), which occurs every year in July with events scheduled for the entire month. Unfortunately the 2020 Gion Matsuri has been cancelled due the pandemic, but when the festival is held, all hotels in Kyoto and the surrounding area are fully booked, and it is impossible to travel around Kyoto due to closed streets and the thousands of people coming to see the festival. On the other hand, the 1000-year old Yasurai Matsuri is not well known (despite being labeled as one of the three most unique of Kyoto's festivals) and is more of a local neighborhood festival that attracts fewer outsiders. The 2020 Yasurai Matsuri was also unfortunately cancelled due to the pandemic. I believe that attending these small festivals gives a foreigner, like me, a better view into Japanese traditions and local life. I have to say that this festival was one of the more memorable experiences I have had in Japan, so I would urge you to consider attending for a more intimate festival experience if you're visit to Kyoto coincides with the annual date.
I attended this festival on 10 Apr 2005, over 15 years ago. Please continue reading the rest of this article to find out more about my experience and to see more photographs.
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| Festival procession passing through the neighborhood |
NHK Core Kyoto Video
As I mentioned in the opening, I attended this festival on 10 Apr 2005, over 15 years ago, and was reminded of the experience when I recently saw an episode of Core Kyoto about the festival over an internet broadcast on NHK (Japan's Public Broadcasting TV station). The 28-min video is available on demand until 31 Mar 2022 (Japan time) at:
If you are pressed for time you can view the first 10 minutes of the video to get an overview of the festival. I would urge you to view this video before reading the rest of this article.
Festival Synopsis
When a bout of plague hit Kyoto just over 1000 years ago, the people thought it must be caused by the falling cherry blossom. So to pacify the Ekishin (液浸), the kami (神, god) of pestilence, a festival was started for its entertainment. The main feature is the dance of the demons. [2]
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| Two small demons lead the procession |
For the current version of the Yasurai Matsuri, there are two processions of about 20 people each, including red hair and black hair demons. One procession starts from Kōnen-ji Temple (光念寺) and the other procession starts from Kawakami-daijingū Shrine (川上大神宮). They start around noon and go towards Imamiya Shrine. [1] The execution of the festival has changed since I attended in 2005 because back then the festival seems to have started and ended at Imamiya Shrine (more about this later) and had only one procession. On the way, the demons go around the residential area and dance to music to lure evil deities existing there into hanagasa (花笠, flower umbrella) so that they can take the evil deities to Imamiya Shrine. [1]
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| Hanagasa (花笠, Flower Umbrella) to collect evil |
It is said that if you get under the hanagasa, you will be safe from disease for the coming year, so procession onlookers take advantage of the occasion to stand underneath. A large red umbrella is put up at the shrine too, with people circling underneath before paying respects at a temporary shrine. [2]
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| People flocking to and standing under the Hanagasa (花笠, Flower Umbrella) for good health |
Here's another explanation of the festival: Imamiya Shrine venerates a deity of health and long life, but it is said that during the cherry blossom season he leaves the shrine to play tricks and becomes a god of sickness. In order to soothe his spirit this lively festival features bright umbrellas decorated with living flowers to lure the god back to the shrine and have him protect the worshipers’ health for another year. [3]
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| Flute storage on the procession route |
How did you find out about the Yasurai Matsuri?
Back in 2005, I was just starting to visit Japan on a regular basis, so this was the second time I had ever visited Kyoto. At the time, there were (and still are) two websites that I consulted to find out what was going on in Kyoto during my visit. The websites were to be used in conjunction with the printed magazines that each produced for tourists and were available for free at Kyoto's Tourist Information centers. While the magazines are no longer printed, given the explosion of internet smartphone usage, the printed material was never available at the Kyoto Tourist Information Center in Kyoto Station because of the huge demand. So at the time, the information was limited to the current month, so if you were planning for a future trip, you were out of luck. So you had to look into the archives for the previous year's listing for the month you were interested in, and there was just a brief description of the event on which to plan your itinerary. That is not the case now and you are able to find information on any event you are interested in. There are literally hundreds of festivals and events in Kyoto, so these websites are very handy in determining what is happening when you are visiting Kyoto. So whenever you decide to visit Kyoto, I suggest consulting these two (English) websites to help plan your itinerary:
- Kyoto Event Web Magazine
- Kyoto Visitor's Guide
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| Small Demons Dancing |
Getting Lucky
When I first planned on attending the festival, I thought it was exclusively held at Imamiya Shrine and did not know that it proceeded through the neighborhood. Remember that at the time, I only had a very small description on a website with no details (today there are many links with festival descriptions available online). Also in 2005, the festival originated and ended at Imamiya Shrine, unlike the current practice. I am not really sure of this, but because the props and costumes are stored off-site near Imamiya Shrine, my strong suspicion is that is true since I stayed to the end of the festival, and walked with and watched the participants deposit the costumes and props at the store house to be used at the next year's festival.
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| Red Hair and Black Hair Demons |
I had planned on getting to Immaiya Shrine before the start of the festival and intended to spend around an hour viewing the festival. Well, things did not go as planned since I was delayed getting to the shrine, missing the festival start, had to catch up with the procession, and ended up spending the entire afternoon and early evening following the festival procession through the nearby neighborhood until it terminated with an after-procession ceremony at the shrine. Imamiya Shrine is located in the northwest part of Kyoto, away from the main tourist areas, and is about a 20-minute walk from the nearest subway station. There is a bus that stops near the shrine, but if I had taken it from Kyoto Station (about a 40-minute ride), I would have missed the procession entirely.
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| Procession's Junior Flute Section |
So as I walked towards the shrine from the subway station, I heard the flutes and drums of the procession. Do not ask me how and where I intercepted the festival procession because I still do not know to this day. It was pure luck that I was able to catch up with and find the procession on my way to the shrine. I followed the festival procession for the next few hours before returning to the shrine with them. The festival is held for the benefit of the local attendees of Imamiya Shrine, so the route taken is predetermined and varies from year-to-year. The procession stops at the shrine's local attendees residence or business if a request has been made before the start of the festival.
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| Dancing Demons |
Festival Procession
So after following the procession for a few hours, I figured out what the procedure was to rid a residence or business of evil deities. If you have seen the full NHK video, you'll know that great effort is invested in the festival, both for the procession participants and those requesting the ridding of the evil deities. For the procession participants, there is practice to make an exciting and memorable performance, and for those requesting that the procession to stop at their residence or business, a shrine is place outside with the appropriate offerings to gain a propitious result.
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| Outdoor Shrine |
Directing the procession is a person with a list of stops that the festival procession will make. These stops are requested by someone living in the neighborhood and who is also a member of Imamiya Shrine. The route is determined before the procession starts and last a few hours before returning the Imamiya Shrine (at least in 2005). Leading the procession are two small demons, who perform a dance at every stop, followed by the red hair and black hair demons, who also perform a dance at every stop to rid the residence or business of evil spirits. The demons are backed up by senior and junior (in age) flute players that provide music for both the procession as it travels from stop to stop, and at every stop where the demons dance. There is also a retinue of attendants dressed in white that accompany the hanagasa carrying mock weapons. Walking from stop to stop and then dancing energetically playing a portable drum in demon costume under a thick wig is tiring work, so thankfully there's a break in the middle for refreshment and to regain strength to complete the final half of the walk.
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| Procession Rest Stop |
The person requesting the stop erects a shrine outside to rid their residence or business of evil. The two small demons dance first after greeting the owner, and then the red hair and black hair demons dance energetically to the music provided by accompanying flutes as they beat the drums and gongs to a rhythm. As the dancing is going on, the spectators flock to get under the hanagasa in order to rid themselves of sickness for the coming year. After the dancing is done, the owner of the residence or business makes an offering to the participants to thank them for the stopping and performing the ritual. The entire procession then moves on, to the sound of flute, drums, and gongs to the next stop. This process repeats until the procession returns to Imamiya Shrine after a few hours.
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| Demons dancing in front of a resident's shrine |
Return to Imamiya Shrine
After making all their scheduled stops, the festival procession returns to Imamiya Shrine. The festival is far from over. Once the procession returns to the shrine, the dancing and music continues to entertain the shrine deity and to deposit the evil gathered by the hanagasa from the residences, businesses, and all the people who sheltered under it along the procession route. If you have seen the NHK video (which was shot pre-pandemic), you will notice that many people gather at the shrine to witness this part of the festival. There were definitely fewer people when I attended in 2005, but even when I attended, it felt like a lot of people.
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| Small demons return to Imamiya Shrine |
Once the entire procession returns to Imamiya Shrine, the small demons and festival procession leaders are blessed by the shrine's priest. The priest's holds a long coiled rope of over-sized prayer beads, and places the rope on each individual's head as they bow to receive the blessing.
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| Priest blessing small demons and festival procession leaders at Imamiya Shrine |
After the first blessing the demons dance in front of the priest. After dancing for the priest, the demons are blessed and then dance for a final time. After the final demon dance, the demons are blessed again by the priest as are the rest of the procession. The blessing is not restricted to just the participants and anyone present can receive this (I did it!). So I am not so sure that the practice of non-procession participants being able to do this is still being done given the explosion in the number of attendees, but when I was there anyone could do this after the participants. The festival is now complete, and the costumes and props are returned to the off-site store house for use in next year's festival.
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| Demon dance at Imamiya Shrine |
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| Final demon dance at Imamiya Shrine |
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| Attendee blessing at Imamiya Shrine |
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| Demons exiting Imamiya Shrine to return the costumes and props to the store house |
Photography Advice
While I am not a professional photographer, I have considerable experience using cameras. Photographing a festival with a constant moving stream of people in the restricted space of an urban environment is a challenge. With respect to photographing dynamic small festival scenes in restricted spaces, my best advice is to be one step ahead of the where the procession is now. You need to figure out where the good shots will be, not where they are now. This can be difficult, since in this case of a moving procession, you have to figure out where the procession is going and take a position ahead where you think the best photos can be taken. Otherwise if you follow the procession, you'll get a lot of photos with the backs of people and wish you were taking photos from another position (probably occupied by another photographer). Also if you get a good position to take photos, don't move and give it up until you're finished taking your photos. Good luck!
Yasurai Matsuri (やすらい祭, Yasurai Festival), Imamiya Shrine (今宮神社, Imamiya-jinja) Information and Access
Name:
- Yasurai Matsuri (Yasurai Festival) at Imamiya Shrine (Imamiya-jinja)
- やすらい祭 今宮神社
Address:
- Japan, 〒603-8243 Kyoto, Kita Ward, Murasakino Imamiyacho, 21
- 〒603-8243 京都府京都市北区紫野今宮町21
Access:
- There are numerous Kyoto 1- and 2-day bus and/or subway passes for travel only in Kyoto, and Kansai area multi-day passes for private rail, subway, and bus lines for travel in Kyoto and in the region surrounding the city. Depending upon you itinerary, these passes can make financial sense and make a good addition to a Japan Rail (JR) Pass, especially in Kyoto where most sights are accessed by local subway and buses, and not by Japan Rail.
- Japan Rail Pass (7-, 14-, 21-day):
- Valid for travel throughout Japan on Japan Rail (with some exceptions).
- Purchase outside of Japan. Must show passport and have a short-term (90 day) visitor's stamp to redeem at selected airports and rail stations. (This is changing)
- Once activated, must be used on consecutive days (i.e. cannot skip days).
- Website:
- Kyoto City Bus and/or Subway Pass (1-, 2-day)
- For bus and subway travel in Kyoto.
- Available to everyone for purchase.
- Activated at time of purchase and the 2-day pass must be used on consecutive days.
- 1-day Pass: ¥900
- 2-day Pass: ¥1700
- Website:
- Kansai Thru Pass (2-, 3-day)
- Note: This is different than the Kansai Area Pass issued by JR West, which is redundant if you already have a JR Pass.
- For travel on the private line trains (i.e. not Japan Rail), subways, and buses in the Kansai region (Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama, and Shiga).
- Must show passport and have a short-term (90 day) visitor's stamp to purchase.
- Activated at time of purchase and can be used on non-consecutive days (e.g. Mon, Wed, and Fri for a 3-day pass).
- 2-day Pass: ¥4480
- 3-day Pass: ¥5600
- Website:
- The Kyoto and Kansai passes can be purchased at the Bus Information Center in front of Kyoto Station and next to the Kyoto Station Bus Station.
- Plan your rail/subway trip using Hyperdia:
- Subway
- From Kyoto Station (K11), take the Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line for Kokusaikaikan to Kitaoji Station (K04).
- The subway trip takes approx. 13 min. and costs ¥260.
- The JR Pass is not valid for use on the Kyoto City subway, but the Kyoto Bus/Subway and Kansai Thru Passes are. Otherwise the fare can be paid by cash or by Electronic Money IC card (even from other regions of Japan (e.g. JR East Suica from Tokyo)).
- Stops are announced in both Japanese and English.
- Walk west 20 min (1.5 km, 0.9 mi) from Kitaoji Station to Imamiya Shrine.
- Bus
- From Kyoto Station Bus Station, Platform A3, take Kyoto City Bus 206 for Shijo Omiya, Kenkunjinja Shrine, and Daitokuji Temple to the Funaokayama Bus Stop.
- The bus trip takes approx. 40 min. and and costs ¥230.
- The JR Pass is not valid for use on the Kyoto City bus, but the Kyoto Bus/Subway and Kansai Thru Passes are. Otherwise the fare can be paid by cash or by Electronic Money IC card (even from other regions of Japan (e.g. JR East Suica from Tokyo)).
- Stops are announced in Japanese.
- Walk 6 min (500 m, 0.3 mi) from the Funaokayama Bus Stop to Imamiya Shrine.
- Information and prices are accurate as of the published date of this article and are subject to change.
Hours and Phone Number:
- Festival is the second Sunday in April and starts at noon.
- 9:00-17:00 (Shrine)
- +81 75-491-0082
Websites:
- Imamiya Shrine (English) website:
- The Japanese website has more information than the English site.
- Plan your rail/subway trip using Hyperdia:
- Japan Rail Pass (7-, 14-, 21-day):
- Kyoto City Bus and/or Subway Pass (1-, 2-day)
- Kansai Thru Pass (2-, 3-day)
- Kyoto Event Web Magazine
- Kyoto Visitor's Guide
Map:
References
[1] Find Your Japan. "Yasurai Matsuri (Imamiya Shrine, Kyoto)". Last accessed: 26 May 2020. https://find-your-jpn.com/yasurai-matsuri-imamiya-shrine/.
[2] Green Shinto. "Yasurai Festival (Imamiya Jinja)". Last accessed: 26 May 2020. https://www.greenshinto.com/wp/2012/04/09/yasurai-festival-imamiya-jinja/.
[3] Discover Kyoto. "Yasurai Matsuri | やすらい祭". Last accessed: 26 May 2020. https://www.discoverkyoto.com/event-calendar/april/yasurai-matsuri-imamiya-shrine/.
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