The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike (Takaragaike, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; General Manager: Hitomi Keisuke) is setting up a space in its hotel lobby, from Saturday, August 1 through Saturday, August 15, 2026, where guests can offer gomagi — wooden votive sticks — for "Matsugasaki Myoho," one of the fires of the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi lit on Mt. Nishiyama and Mt. Higashiyama in the Matsugasaki district near the hotel. Alongside the reception, the hotel is screening videos introducing "Daimoku Odori" and "Sashi Odori," dances passed down in Matsugasaki and said to be Japan's oldest Bon dance, giving visiting guests a chance to take part in one of Kyoto's traditional events and learn about the local culture. This marks the fifth year the hotel has held the gomagi reception in its lobby.
About the Gomagi Votive Offering Reception
Reception period: 10:00 AM, Saturday, August 1 – 10:00 AM, Saturday, August 15, 2026
Location: Hotel lobby (1F)
Offering: ¥500 per gomagi stick. Any guest visiting the hotel is welcome to make an offering.
Every year, more than 400 gomagi sticks are offered, with many overseas guests also taking an interest in the traditional Japanese event and joining in. The gomagi, inscribed with visitors' wishes and prayers, are handed over to Matsugasaki Risshokai (松ヶ崎立正会), a public interest incorporated foundation, and burned at the bonfire site for "Matsugasaki Myoho" on the day of the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi.
Videos of the Matsugasaki Daimoku Odori and Sashi Odori
The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike aims to connect its guests with the surrounding community, continuing to share the appeal of Kyoto's traditions and culture with visitors from Japan and abroad.
About Matsugasaki Risshokai
Matsugasaki Risshokai, a public interest incorporated foundation made up of local residents, works to preserve and pass down the local culture of the Matsugasaki district — including the Matsugasaki Myoho bonfire, one part of the Kyoto Gozan Okuribi, and the Matsugasaki Daimoku Odori, said to be Japan's oldest Bon dance, along with Sashi Odori.
