Kyoto Festival: Hydrangea Celebration at Fujinomori Shrine (Ajisai Matsuri)

During the peak of the rainy season in June and July the Kyoto Fan team went to Fujinomori Shrine in southern Kyoto to take part in their Hydrangea Festival. Each year the shrine hosts special openings of its two expansive hydrangea gardens for a month’s time, with special events such as musical performances, rituals, and martial arts demonstrations offered on certain days. This year the weekend with the most cultural offerings fell on the weekend of the 19th and 20th, with an iaidō sword demonstration, sung poem recitation, epic poetry on the lute, and sumo folk songs on Saturday, and a taiko drum concert, a kemari ball game, and short displays of old court style instrumentals and dance on Sunday. In between the performances offered up to the shrine deities on the prayer hall stage, visitors could enjoy hydrangea themed food and shop at one of the local food or craft stalls set up on the grounds- or of course, wander through the gorgeous hydrangea gardens! Take a look with us at the many wonderful cultur