Kasuga Festival - Kasugasai

The annual festival of Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara City is held on March 13th. It is also called "Kasuga Festival" or "Saru Festival". It is said to have started in 850 (Kasho 3) during the reign of Emperor Ninmyo, and was held on the night of November 9th (Jogan 1) during the reign of Emperor Seiwa in 859 (Jogan 1). Since then, the festival has been held on the upper monkey days of February in spring and November in winter, hence the name "Saru Festival". Since the Meiji period, it has been held on March 13th, and continues to be held to this day. The festival includes the offering of sacred treasures, the hanging of Inagaki tax, the arrival ceremony, the offering of the shelf, the banquet, the Japanese dance, the visit, the granting of a gift, and the worship dance, and the shelf for the sacred offerings is offered by the imperial envoy himself. The sacred offerings are still given today exactly as they appear in the Engishiki. Japanese dance is a traditional dance from the Yamato region, and has been performed at the Kasuga Festival since ancient times, as can be seen in the Jogan Ceremony and other documents.

[Ishu Ochiai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

3月13日に行われる奈良市春日大社の例祭。「かすがまつり」、申祭(さるまつり)ともいう。仁明(にんみょう)天皇の850年（嘉祥3）に始まったといわれ、清和(せいわ)天皇の859年（貞観1）11月9日の庚申(こうしん)の夜執行されて以来、春2月、冬11月の上の申(さる)の日を祭日と定められたため、申祭の名がある。明治以降3月13日となり現在に至っている。神宝奉奠(ほうてん)、稲垣の懸税(かけぢから)をはじめ、着到の儀、御棚(おたな)奉奠、饗饌(きょうせん)、和舞(やまとまい)、見参、賜禄(しろく)、拝舞などが行われるが、神饌の御棚は勅使自らの手により奉奠される。神饌は『延喜式(えんぎしき)』にみえるそのままが現在も供えられている。また和舞は大和(やまと)地方の風俗舞で、古くより春日祭に奏されてきたことが『貞観儀式(じょうがんぎしき)』などによりうかがわれる。

［落合偉洲］

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