White Horse Festival - Aouma no Sechie

This is an annual event that has been held since the Nara period. On the 7th day of the New Year, the emperor appears in the Shishinden or Burakuden hall and is a ceremony to view 21 blue horses brought out from the Meryo (the horse quarters). Blue horses are white or light brown horses, and this is based on a Chinese custom that if you view a blue horse on this day, you will be able to avoid evil spirits for the year. Originally written as "blue horse," it was changed to "white horse" during the reign of Emperor Murakami (reigned 946-967). However, it is still pronounced as "aoma," and the color of the horses has not changed in particular; it is simply a result of the ancient sense of color becoming more and more valued for white during the Heian period. This was to Japanize the event. During the Heian period, the ceremonies were also well-established, beginning with the Mitarashi no Sou (Imperial Bow Performance) and the Aouma no Sou (White Horse Performance), and later a banquet was held for the ministers. This event declined towards the end of the Heian period, and was discontinued during the Onin War (1467-1477). It was revived in 1492 (Meiō 1) and was held until the beginning of the Meiji period.

[Yutaka Yamanaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

奈良時代ころから行われた年中行事。正月7日、天皇が紫宸殿(ししんでん)または豊楽殿(ぶらくでん)に出御し、左右馬寮(めりょう)から引き出された21頭の青馬(あおうま)を見る儀式。青馬とは、白または葦毛(あしげ)の馬で、この日に青馬を見れば、その年の邪気を避けられるという中国の風習に倣ったもの。もとは「青馬」と書いていたが村上(むらかみ)天皇（在位946～967）のとき「白馬」と書き改めた。ただし読みは「あおうま」のままであり、馬の色がとくに変わったのではなく、ただ、上代の色彩感が平安時代になると、白を重んじる結果である。行事の日本化のためである。平安時代には儀式も整い、初めに御弓奏(みたらしのそう)、白馬奏(あおうまのそう)があり、のちに諸臣に宴が設けられた。平安末ごろからこの行事は衰え、応仁(おうにん)の乱（1467～1477）で中絶、1492年（明応1）に再興して、明治初年まで行われた。

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