DATE:		June 1, 2007 Kyochi (horse racing) (Ceremony starts at 9:00)
PLACE:		180 Kurama Kibune-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
DIRECTION:		Kyoto Bus #33 from Eizan Line Kibuneguchi Station to Kibune
TEL:		81-75-741-2016
ADMISSION:		Free
TEXT:		Kibune Festival is held in honor of the god of water and to pray for the safety of family and home and the good health of worshippers. An elegant dance called "otomemai" (maiden's dance) is performed during the ceremony at the main shrine. This is followed by mikoshi (portable shrine) hatsuyo-sai (starting ceremony), a mikoshi parade, kodomo sendo mairi (children’s prayers), a lucky rice cake throwing ceremony, and "izumo kagura" (Shinto dance performance). This festival started out as Gokoi-sai (sacred robe changing festival), which was held twice a year in the fourth and eleventhmonth of the lunar calendar in the periods before the Meiji Restoration. The festival in the fourth month was known as Itadori Festival because priests competed to see how much itadori (Japanese knotweed) they could pick. Ceremony at the main shrine: 11:00 Mikoshi hatsuyo-sai: 13:00 Mikoshi parade: 13:30-18:00 Kodomo sendo mairi: 15:00 Lucky rice cake throwing ceremony: 15:15 Izumo kagura: 15:30 *Times may change depending on the weather and pace of the mikoshi parade.