Ayatokunaka Shrine (Minami Ward, Kyoto City) announced on June 15, 2025 that brothers Rensuke Tokura (8 years old), a second-grader at the local Kuze Nishi Elementary School, and Ritsuki Tachiki (6 years old), a first-grader at the same school, have been selected to play the role of "Kuze Komagata Chigo," who lead the mikoshi (portable shrine) on horseback during the Gion Festival. Unlike last year, when only one person was selected, this year the two parishioners will be in charge of the Shinko Festival (July 17th, Ritsuki) and Kanko Festival (July 24th, Rensuke) as per traditional custom.
After the dedication ceremony to the shrine, in the worship hall, Rensuke said, "It's my first time riding a horse, but I'll try my best at practice," and Ritsuki said, "I like to move my body. I want to play the role without falling off the horse."
The shrine's parishioners used to send out volunteers on a rotating basis, but after the war, the system changed to one where the households could choose volunteers at random, and the scope of the volunteers has expanded to include descendants of those who do not live in the shrine's parishioner area. This is due to factors such as the declining birthrate as well as changes in living conditions.
According to Takeo Konishi (86 years old), a senior shrine official who has served as a volunteer himself, older children are considered ideal in terms of physical strength, but as the search expanded to include candidates who were scheduled to be approached several years in advance, a pair of younger brothers was chosen. "It was only at the last minute that we decided on them," Konishi said.
On July 13, the children will report to the altar of Yasaka Shrine that they will be volunteering as volunteers, and will attend the "Syasan no Gi" ceremony to pray for the safety of the festival.
The Kuze Komagata volunteers are selected from the parishioners of Ayado Kuninaka Shrine, which has a deep connection to Yasaka Shrine. During the Shinko Festival and Kanko Festival, it is adorned with a horse-shaped carving called "komagata" and proceeds in front of the Nakamiza mikoshi.
