Ahead of the Aoi Festival on May 15th, the Mikage Festival to welcome the Aramitama, the deity of Shimogamo Shrine (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City), was held at Mikage Shrine in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City on May 12th, 2025. The Aramitama, newly born at Mikage Shrine, was carried to Shimogamo Shrine by priests.
The Aramitama is a powerful divine spirit like a baby, and is enshrined together with the divine spirit of the main hall of Shimogamo Shrine. It is said that it has the role of enhancing the power of the divine spirit of the main hall.
Around noon on this day, the Miare Shinto Ritual was solemnly held at Mikage Shrine. The Aramitama was transferred to a sacred horse (shinme) at Chanokihara Park in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, and covered with a ritual tool called a kingai, and paraded down Shimogamo Hondori Street with about 350 priests and parishioners.
The procession arrived at Shimogamo Shrine around 4pm. On the approach to Tadasu no Mori, the Kirishiba ritual is held and the Azuma Asobi dance praises the gods, welcoming the spirits in a lively manner.
