The "Mitarashi Festival," where visitors dip their bare feet into the shrine grounds' spring water to pray for good health and freedom from illness, began on July 18, 2026, at Shimogamo Shrine (Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City). Despite the cloudy skies, the air was muggy and oppressive; worshippers found relief in the cool pond water as they offered up the flames of their candles.
The festival originated in the Heian period, when nobles performed purification rituals in the Mitarashi Pond to ward off epidemics. It is affectionately known as the "Ashi-tsuke Shinji" (Foot-Dipping Ritual) and has traditionally been held around the "Day of the Ox" during the *Doyo* (mid-summer) season.
As the opening day coincided with the weekend, a line of worshippers formed immediately after the event began. Visitors rolled up their pant legs to step into the pond, moving forward one careful step at a time to ensure their candle flames did not go out, before offering their lights at the Inoue-sha (Mitarashi-sha) shrine located on the water's edge.
A fourth-grade boy (10 years old) who visited with his family smiled and said, "The water was cool and felt great. I prayed that I would become a professional baseball player in the future and win the home run title."
The festival runs until July 30, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
