DATE:		May 5, 2007 Kyochi (racing) starts at 15:00 (The ritual starts at 9:00)
PLACE:		339 Kamigamo Motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto
DIRECTION:		City Bus #9 to Kamigamo Misonobashi
TEL:		81-75-781-0011
ADMISSION:		Free
TEXT:		The Kurabeuma (horse race) ritual began in Japan in 1093. Also known as Kisoiuma or Komakurabe, two horses race against each other in a ritual in which prayers are offered for world peace and a bumper rice harvest.  The riders, who wear bugaku (Japanese traditional dance) outfits, gather at the shrine pavilion. This scene is depicted in Tsurezure-gusa (Essays in Idleness), as well as in other literature. The dynamic races are nothing short of spectacular. On May 1, prior to the event, the Ashizoroe ceremony is held and each horse is tested for its speed and condition.