The Mifune Festival at Kurumazaki Shrine (Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City), which recreated Heian period boating, was held on May 19, 2024 on the Oi River, upstream of Togetsukyo Bridge in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City. Actor Arisa Mizuki (47 years old), who has ties to the shrine, performed an elegant ''ohgi-nagashi'' dance on a boat in the rain.
The Mifune Festival began in 1928, in honor of a story in which the retired Emperor Uda went boating on the Oi River. Arisa Mizuki, an actor who has been worshiping at the shrine known as a place of prayer for performing arts and art for many years, was appointed president of the Kurumaori Shrine Performing Arts and Culture Promotion Association in April 2023, and is also participating in the Mifune Festival.
On this day, people dressed in Heian costumes boarded the boat, attracting foreign tourists. Arisa Mizuki, who floated colorful fans on the rippling surface of the water, said, ''It's a truly beautiful sight to see fans flowing down the river.It's wonderful that we can hold the festival every year after the coronavirus pandemic is over.I want to convey the goodness of Kyoto through the festival.''
