On February 24, 2024, the traditional event ''Sanyare Festival'', in which boys report to the gods that they have joined the ranks of adults, was held in the area of Kamigamojinja Shrine in Kita Ward, Kyoto City, following the customs of Genpuku. Local children paraded in procession to the sound of musical accompaniment.
It is said to have been established in the early Edo period, and has been passed down by people who have lived in the parishioner area of the shrine since ancient times. A 15-year-old boy is called an ''Agari,'' and this year, Yuto Nakajima (13 years old), a first-year student at Heian Junior High School attached to Ryukoku University, took the role.
Mr. Nakajima, wearing an Oshima Tsumugi haori and kimono, which is considered the formal attire of farmers, and the procession led by local children visited Ota Shrine and other places before arriving at Kamigamo Shrine. Taiko drums and gongs were beaten in front of the main shrine, echoing the unique chant of ''Congratulations Gozaru.''
Mr. Nakajima said, ''I feel like I have climbed the ladder of adulthood.I want to pass on this festival to future generations of children.''
