The Kyoto Shimbun
  • Home
  • Temples/Shrines
  • News
  • Thrilling "Bun-mawashi" Captivates Spectators
    Agata Matsuri in Uji, Kyoto

    6 June 2016 - Temples/Shrines
    Photo= Spectators are charmed by Agata Matsuri's "Bun-mawashi" (11:07 p.m., June 5, Uji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture)

    Photo= Spectators are charmed by Agata Matsuri's "Bun-mawashi" (11:07 p.m., June 5, Uji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture)

    Agata Matsuri, known as "Anya no Kisai" meaning an odd festival in the dark of night, took place from June 5 to the early hours of June 6 in Uji, Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. The festival's highlight "Bonten Togyo," the passage of a float carrying a Bonten, was separately performed by Agata Shrine and parties related to "Hosan-kai," a group consisting of religious associations in Osaka and Hyogo Prefectures, for the second straight year. The "Bun-mawashi," a performance of dynamically swinging the Bonten fascinated visitors.

    The Bonten managed by Hosan-kai departed from Uji Shrine Otabisho at around 11:00 p.m. The float paraded through the street to Uji-bashi Nishizume, violently shaking and turning the Bonten, which is a wooden Shinto ritual wand with white paper streamers arranged into a spherical shape. In Agata Shrine, a Shinto ritual of moving a divine spirit was held in the darkness at around 12:00 a.m. Approximately 70 local residents performed the Bun-mawashi, shouting out "Mawase," or turn it, "Mottoike," or work harder, and so on.

    Hosan-kai and Agata Shrine have been in contention over their differing views of the Shinto ritual, "Bonten Togyo." The ritual has been held separately since 2004, except in 2009 and 2014.

    There was a turnout of approximately 120,000 people, about 65,000 more than last year when the weather was rainy, according to a safety promotion council for Agata Matsuri.

    (translated by Galileo, Inc.)
  • Also in Temples/Shrines:
    The collection box installed at the entrance to the Goten Palace to solicit donations for reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral (Ninna-ji Temple, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto)

    Ninna-ji Temple, Kyoto, Collects Donations for Notre Dame's Fire Recovery
    "Temple also Reconstructed due to Fire during Onin War"
    10 June 2019

    Seihan Mori, the chief priest of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, writing the character for "disaster" with a brush (Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto)

    "Disaster" Selected as Kanji of Year
    Announced at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Kyoto
    8 January 2019

    Photo= Staff of Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha Research Institute inviting event visitors to answer the questionnaire (November 2017, INTEX OSAKA, Suminoe Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture)

    Negative Impression of Priests Due to Money?
    Survey by Hongwanji-ha Research Institute
    5 December 2018

    Photo= Worshippers light candles in front of stone towers in the precincts at dusk (August 22, Injo-ji Temple, Kamiyama-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture)

    Precincts Dyed by Candles at Stone Images
    "Manto Kuyo" Ritual at Injo-ji Temple, Shiga Prefecture
    2 September 2018

    Noted artists drawing fusuma door pictures in Kyoto temple

    Noted artists drawing fusuma door pictures in Kyoto temple
    20 June 2018

News Archive
  • December 2022
  • October 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • More...
Categories
  • Sightseeing/Events
  • Temples/Shrines
  • Tradition/Culture
  • Local topics
  • Education/University
  • Business/Company
  • Traffic
  • Gourmet
  • 1min Kyoto
  • Kyoto
  • Shiga
Web site
Introducing Privacy Policy Japanese Site
Copyright © 1995-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
We use cookies for a number of reasons, such as keeping our websites reliable and secure, providing social media features and to analyze the performance of ads. Accept & continue Read More
Privacy Policy