Gion Matsuri: Japanese mindset of turning a disaster into an opportunity showcases in Gion Matsuri – Japan Shinto festival originated to protect from epidemics now a major tourist attraction
“These shows are not primarily designed to entertain people,” said Fabio Rambelli, a professor of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “They are offerings to the gods,” Rambelli said.
Gion Matsuri
Gion Matsuri emerged in the late 9th century as a ritual to appease spirits believed to cause epidemics and to pray for protection from diseases. It takes its name from Kyoto’s Gion District and the Japanese word “matsuri”, which means festival.
At the center of the celebration is Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine, a Shinto site whose main deity has long been revered as a protector against disasters. But the temple’s history also reflects centuries of interaction between Shinto and Buddhism in Japan.
“Until about 150 years ago, this was a Buddhist temple,” Rambelli said. “This is part of the religious changes that are happening in Japan.”
The main deity of the sanctuary at the time was Gozu Tennō, an ox-headed figure who was believed to have the power to spread or prevent epidemics. “This was a type of syncretic deity, probably of Indian origin, with connections to Korean and local folklore,” Rambelli said. “Many gods in Japan are a mixture of different traditions.”
Early versions of Gion Matsuri included this god, Rambelli said.
To show evil forces and spirits that their god would confront them, devotees carried it around the city in processions similar to those seen in Kyoto today.
A Shrine’s Conversion from Buddhism Helps Shape Today’s Shinto Practices
The Japanese government separated the two traditions of Shinto and Buddhism during the Meiji period in 1868, effectively placing Shinto shrines under state control and placing the emperor at the center of the new order.
“Since the emperor was a direct descendant of the sun goddess, they purified the entire system, creating what we now see as Shinto,” said Andrea De Antoni, professor of anthropology and religious studies at Kyoto University.
A strong anti-Buddhist movement followed, De Antoni said. Temples, mandalas and statues were burned and destroyed.
Shinto, II. It formally separated from the state after World War II, but its traditions still reflect a broader history of religious and cultural influence.
“This is an institutionalized religion that revolves around the ideas of gods and different spirits called kami,” De Antoni said.
“Kami shares its rules with general animism ideas that can be found around the world, but there are many similarities with certain parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific,” he added.
Ancient Traditions Bring Societies Together
Japanese festivals often serve as a way to bring deities to the streets for sacred or ritual purposes while also bringing communities together for celebration.
“This is the festival of all the people in the neighborhood,” said Jacques Garrigues, a Frenchman who has lived in Kyoto for three decades and attended the Gion Matsuri parade with his son on Friday.
“We also come together with a certain sense of religion, although the religious significance is not the same as in France,” he added.
Among the traditions preserved by Gion Matsuri is the selection of a boy as a holy messenger to the gods. During the parade, the chosen child is seen sitting on one of the floats, his feet never touching the ground.
Some key participants spend months preparing for the celebrations. Different districts prepare their floats with great care and dedication; many people believe the floats will ward off evil spirits.
