Kinen-sai
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Kinen-sai is a festival that was celebrated every year in ancient Japan on February 4th. It was an important observance of the government. It was held to pray for a good harvest. Emperor Tenmu started the festival in 675. All the shrines of the Engishiki Jinmyocho had to do the ceremony.[1]
During the festival, tribute was offered to the gods, and the ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials, but the emperor himself did not participate. In the Heian period, the festival declined and was only celebrated in the Department of Divinities.[1]
Later, the festival became more solemn and focused on worshipping Amaterasu Ōmikami, the sun goddess, and during the period of "cloistered emperors", it became a personal rite of the Emperor to worship Amaterasu. Kinensai eventually became such a sacred ceremony that it would be canceled in case of any pollution at the Ise Shrines.[1] This is similar to the Feng Shan festival in China.[2]
However, the festival stopped being celebrated in the late Muromachi period due to military conflict. It was later revived in a form called sairō by Shirakawa house, the ruling clan of the Department of Divinities. But this form was quite abbreviated. Kinensai would later be revived in the Meiji Restoration.[1]
It is sometimes contrasted with Niiname-no-Matsuri or the fall festival.[3]
It is now celebrated yearly all across Japan[4] including at Meiji Jingu,[5] and Isonokami Shrine
References
- ^ a b c d Fujimori, Kaoru. "Kinensai". Kokugakuin University encyclopedia of shinto. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=requires|archive-url=(help) - ^ Bokenkamp, Stephen (2002). "24. Record of the Feng and Shan Sacrifices". Religions of Asia in Practice. pp. 386–395. doi:10.1515/9780691188140-029. ISBN 9780691188140.
- ^ "Kinen-sai (Ceremony for praying for the harvest), Tauchi-mai Shinji (Shinto rituals to pray for a good harvest for the year) | Samukawa-jinja Shrine". Samukawa-jinja Shrine Official Website. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ "Jinja-Honcho -CIVILIZATION OF THE DIVINE FOREST-". www.jinjahoncho.or.jp. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ "Rites & Events｜Meiji Jingu". www.meijijingu.or.jp. Retrieved 2023-11-01.