Kodaiji Temple has announced that the ''Fox's Wedding'' procession, which has been held every spring near Kodaiji Temple in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, will end this spring by March 14, 2024. The procession, which featured women in bridal costumes wearing fox masks, gained popularity mainly on social media, but this year will be the last time the procession is held.
Because the area is close to an area called Toribeno, ''Fox's Wedding'' was started with the aim of entertaining the people who came in processions similar to Hyakki Yagyō. An executive committee made up of Kodaiji Temple and local businesses has been holding the event on spring nights for about 20 years. The event was limited to 5 to 10 days, and the fantastic procession was popular among tourists. The role of the bride was normally solicited at the end of the year, and it is said that around 200 nominations were received each year.
Previously, it was held in conjunction with the ''Higashiyama Hanatoro'' held in March along a route of less than 1 km from Chion-in to Kodaiji Temple, but the Higashiyama Hanatoro will end in 2022. In recent years, the event has been held at a later date, but the executive committee decided to end it as this year marks the 20th anniversary.
This year, the last one, will be held from April 3rd to 7th. There are two parades at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and the parade runs about 600 meters from in front of Otani Sobyo Shrine to Kodaiji Temple.
Kodaiji Temple's chief butler, Jochu Okumura, said, ''This year marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Nene, the lawful wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who founded Kodaiji Temple, and a major memorial service is coming up, so we decided to close it because we thought it was a turning point. "If we can reopen someday, we would like to do it again."
