Tsukumai (Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival)
A traditional event held on the night of the final day of the Yasaka Shrine Gion Festival. Men climb tall poles and perform acrobatic feats such as tightrope walking and headstands. It is said the event's origins lie in a traditional folk performance of ancient China which was conveyed to the area in the first half of the 19th century, and that its purpose is to pray for bountiful harvests and rain, but the exact details are unclear. The event was designated a national Intangible Cultural Property in 1999 and a prefectural Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2010.
Map
Share this spot
