On May 30, 2024, the Osenbokoh ceremony, which originated from a court ceremony in the Heian period, was held at Sanzenin Temple in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. The solemn sound of Buddhist music, "Shomyo," echoed through the lush mountain village of Ohara.
The ceremony began at just after 10 a.m. in the Shinden dojo, with the head priest Koujitsu Kobori acting as the leader, adjusting the tone of the chanting, known as "chousei." After the head priest Kobori recited the first verse, eight members of the ceremonial corps slowly circled the hall while chanting in unison, and also scattered paper in the shape of flower petals to scatter flowers.
More than 350 people, including high priests from other sects, attended the ceremony that day, and watched the ancient ceremony in the temple grounds, where some hydrangeas had begun to bloom.
The Osenbokoh is said to have been started by Emperor Goshirakawa in 1157, towards the end of the Heian period, as a court ritual to repent of wrongdoings and purify the heart. It was considered an important religious ceremony for the Tendai sect, but after being discontinued due to the abolish Buddhism, destroy Shākyamuni (slogan of anti-Buddhist movement at the beginning of the Meiji era) movement and World War II, it was restored in 1979 by Sanzenin, the head temple of the Tendai sect's Gokamuro temple.
