Kitano Festival - Annual Festival of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine

Held annually in September and October at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, the Kitano Matsuri is the most important annual event of this shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, revered as the deity of learning. This historic festival has enjoyed devoted patronage from the imperial family and samurai class since the shrine's founding in 947, and once featured magnificent processions of imperial messengers. Today, solemn Shinto rituals are conducted on September 4th, followed by mikoshi (portable shrine) processions during the Shinko-sai and Kanko-sai held from October 1st to 5th. The festival's most distinctive feature is the "Zuiki Mikoshi," a portable shrine with a roof thatched with taro stems (zuiki) and decorated with autumn vegetables and dried goods, preserving a harvest thanksgiving tradition that has continued since the Muromachi period. This autumn tradition is beloved as a cultural treasure where the elegant culture of ancient Kyoto merges with the devotion of local people.