The Fushimi Inari Grand Shrine of the popular Inari deity stood prominently at the edge of the city of Kyoto during the medieval period. From the shrine, priests and supporters promoted two major ritual festivals (mastsuri) during this period that allowed them to extend the domain of the Inari kami and connect with the very heart of the city. This talk will provide an examination of how these two festivals of Inari interacted with the political and religious landscapes of Kyoto, and how the festivals were central to the medieval image of the Inari kami. From at least the tenth century, the second month’s Hatsuuma Taisai, or First Horse Day Festival, of the Inari shrine enjoyed substantial popularity as an occasion for pilgrimage. We can find reference to this festival in the works of Sei Shōnagon and in the stories of Tales of Time Now Past (Konjaku monogatarishū). Writers from the eleventh century began to mention the Inarisai, or Inari Festival, of the third and fourth months alongside the better known Gion and Hie festivals. This festival and its floats in the city streets grew to such extravagance that Emperor Go-Horikawa issued an edict for the festivities to be cut back in 1231. How did a Japanese shrine on the periphery of Kyoto utilize such festivals to connect with different strata of society and exert its influence on the topography of the city? How did these relate to larger ritual programs of the shrine during this period? In exploring and answering these questions, I will analyze how both festivals helped set the foundations for the Inari kami’s modern image.

THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE IN ACADEMIC YEAR 2023-24

Reischauer Institute Japan Forum Lecture Series