Kannamesai Festival



Kannamesai Festival, sometimes called Ōmatsuri is one of the most important festivals of Ise Jingu. It is also celebrated at all Shinto shrines according to regulations by the Association of Shinto Shrines. Held in October each year, this ritual makes offerings of the first harvest of crops for the season to Amaterasu. An imperial envoy carries the offering of rice harvested by the Emperor himself to Ise, as well as five-coloured silk cloth and other materials, called heihaku.

The festival is part of a yearly cycle. The cycle starts with Shinden geshusai in April. This marks the beginning of rice planting. Otaue hajime follows in May and nuibosai in September. The cycle ends with the Kannamesai.

Overview
Kannamesai is one of the three main festivals of the year.

The festival happens before Niinamesai at the imperial palace. It follows the lunar calendar, taking place in the ninth month. An imperial envoy offers silk and other gifts.

Rituals and Ceremonies
The festival begins on the evening of October 15 with the Okitama shinsai and Miura no gi rituals. While the Outer Shrine presents offerings of yuki no ōmike, the Inner Shrine's offerings include sliced abalone dressed in salt (minie). An imperial envoy recites a prayer (saimon) and presents imperial offerings on the day commemorating Amaterasu Ōmikami's enshrinement, followed by a votive kagura performance by shrine musicians and dancers.

The festival has two main ceremonies. These are "distant worship" (yohai) and a rite for imperial ancestors (shinsai no gi). They take place at the Kashiko dokoro in the imperial palace. A 1933 rule states the importance of Kannamesai for Ise Shrines.

A rule says rituals must happen at Ise Shrines and the Kashiko dokoro together. This made Kannamesai a major palace ritual. In 1914, all central and lesser shrine priests had to include Kannamesai. After the war, Kannamesai was named a medium-scale festival. All shrines must observe it.

History
The tradition began in 721. Imperial messengers brought offerings in the ninth month. The offerings were called "reihei". The practice stopped in medieval times. It started again in the Edo period.

It dates back to Emperor Suinin's time. Legend says Princess Yamatohime-no-mikoto looked for a place to honor the goddess. A white-naped crane offered rice ears, starting this tradition.

In 1871, the festival rules changed. The festival then included worship at Kōtai Jingū and the imperial palace. The Kashiko dokoro enshrines a sacred mirror. This mirror represents the Ise Shrines in the palace. The festival moved to October in 1878. This was to match the harvest time. Japan started using the Gregorian calendar in 1873. Kannamesai moved to the tenth month in 1879. This change matched the rice harvest season.