Chōyō no Sekku｜重陽の節句

Much as they do in the West, certain numbers hold significant meaning in Japanese culture.  The number nine is considered to be an auspicious number by the Shinto religion, and based on that belief Kamigamo Shrine in northern Kyoto hosts the Chrysanthemum Festival (Chōyō no Sekku) on the ninth day of the ninth month: September 9^th.

The Saiō-dai, a woman chosen to represent an imperial princess for the famous Aoi Matsuri, makes an appearance at the festival as part of her year-long appointment, looking resplendent in multi-layered kimono and classic hairstyle, accompanied by her young attendants.

In keeping with the theme, chrysanthemum sake is available to drink, and a rather interesting ritual takes place when priests from the shrine perform a prayer dance in which they mimic crows, which are considered sacred at Kamigamo Shrine because of the legend of the three-legged yatagarasu who led the first Emperor.  After the ceremonial portion finishes, local children compete with each other in a sumo wrestling match called karasu-zumo, or “crow sumo”, which is a particularly popular event.