On the night of July 10, 2023, a Shinto ritual called "Mikoshi Arai" was held at Shijo Ohashi Bridge in Kyoto City to purify the mikoshi (portable shrine) of the Gion Festival with water from the Kamogawa River. Due to the effects of the new coronavirus, it was the first time in four years that the event was held on the Shijo Ohashi Bridge, and it was filled with enthusiasm among the bearers.
The mikoshi arai cleanses the "Nakagoza" of the three mikoshi that line the parishioners area of Yasaka Shrine (Higashiyama Ward) at the Shinkosai (July 17th) and Kankosai (July 24th). From 2020 onwards, the ceremony was held within the precincts of the shrine due to the coronavirus pandemic.
At around 7:00 pm on July 10th, the "Michishirabe no Gi" was held, carrying a large torch lit by a fire in the precincts, going back and forth from the shrine to the bridge, and purifying the roadside. About 50 minutes later, the mikoshi on the Nakagoza departed from the shrine, and the bearers shouted in high spirits.
At Shijo Ohashi, Shinto priests and people involved in the portable shrine soaked sakaki in water drawn from the Kamo River during the day and sprinkled it on the portable shrine. It is said that being splashed with water will bring good health, and some of the bearers who surrounded the mikoshi held children or carried them on their shoulders.
Prior to the washing of the mikoshi, the "welcoming lantern procession" was held for the first time in four years, walking between the stone steps of the shrine and the city hall.
