Choyo Rite and Karasu Sumo at Kamigamo Shrine 2026

Dates & time: September 9, 2026 (Wed) 10:00〜重陽神事（本殿前）、引き続き烏相撲（細殿前）
Price & booking: Free to watch (no viewing fee is listed for the shrine grounds) Attendance at the Choyo rite is open to visitors, and the Karasu Sumo is free to watch. For details on attending or checking in on the day, contact the shrine office (075-781-0011, 8:30–17:00).
Venue & access: Kamigamo Shrine (Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine), main hall and Hosodono forecourt Right at the Kamigamo-jinja-mae city bus stop. By car, use the paid shrine parking lot.

There are 7 car parks within a 12-minute walk of Kamigamo Shrine (Kamowakeikazuchi Shrine), main hall and Hosodono forecourt, and 3 public restrooms within 8 minutes. The map shows each with its walking time.

Facility data comes from OpenStreetMap. It does not include opening hours, fees or availability.

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Why You Should Visit

On 9 September, Kamigamo Shrine — a UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Kyoto — marks the Chrysanthemum Festival with a rite and a children's sumo tournament. Chrysanthemums are offered before the main hall in the Choyo rite, a prayer for long life and protection from misfortune, and the Karasu Sumo follows on a ring built in the forecourt of the Hosodono hall. Priests in white robes called tone stand before the shrine's cones of sand, imitating the caw of a crow with cries of "kaa-kaa-kaa" and "koh-koh-koh" and hopping like one, after which local children wrestle. The crow motif comes from the legend of Kamotaketsunumi-no-mikoto, who took the form of the three-legged crow Yatagarasu to guide Emperor Jimmu. Free to watch.

NOTE

On the day:

10:00 Choyo rite before the main hall — chrysanthemums offered with prayers for long life and protection from misfortune

Immediately after: Karasu Sumo on the ring in the Hosodono forecourt, inside the second torii

Tone priests perform the crow calls and crow hops
Local children wrestle as an offering

The evening before:

8 September, 20:00: Karasu Sumo uchitori ceremony

Worth knowing:

Chrysanthemum sake is served in the grounds
The Saio-dai of the Aoi Festival attends as a guest
The crow calls performed before the cones of sand are the heart of the rite
The crow tradition comes from Kamotaketsunumi-no-mikoto, who became the crow Yatagarasu and led Emperor Jimmu's eastern campaign

*Start times and running order may change on the day.

Culture Art History Heritage Free Cheap Family Half Day

出典: 上賀茂神社公式サイト「上賀茂神社のひととせ」

Kobe · Gluten-free

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FAQ

Is there a fee to watch?

The Karasu Sumo is free to watch and no viewing fee is announced. Visitors may also attend the Choyo rite.

What time should I arrive to see the Karasu Sumo?

It begins straight after the Choyo rite, which starts at 10:00. The exact start shifts with the day's proceedings, so arrive in the grounds by 10:00 and wait near the ring in front of the Hosodono hall.

Can I bring children?

The wrestlers are local children, so it is an easy rite to watch with kids. Viewing around the ring is standing-room only, so find a spot early if you need to carry a small child.

Does it go ahead in the rain?

The shrine does not publish a wet-weather policy. The Karasu Sumo takes place on an outdoor ring, so call the shrine office (075-781-0011, 8:30–17:00) beforehand if bad weather is forecast.