Kiyomizu-dera Gohō Festival

Festival highlights

At the festival described, prayers were offered at the signal of a conch shell, and the Gohōmi, dressed in white, went to a nearby shrine to welcome the Gohō Zenshin deity.

The Gohōmi then changed into a black happi coat and trousers, covered their head with paper streamers, and swung a huge sakaki branch.

Children crawl around, chanting “Gyāte, gyāte.” When the deity possesses the Gohōmi, the Gohōmi runs through the temple grounds, trying to catch people. This “play” is the festival’s climax.

A night when the guardian deity of Kiyomizu-dera races through the grounds, beginning with a conch shell and prayers

What to expect

At the nighttime festival described, the Gohōmi observed ritual abstinence and purification starting 7 days beforehand, and performed water purification in a nearby clear stream on the night of the festival.

At 10:30 p.m., a conch shell is blown, and after prayers, the Gohōmi goes to the shrine dressed in white to welcome the Gohō Zenshin deity.

After the prayers for blessings and the children’s chants, the “play” takes place. When it ends, the Gohōmi changes back into white clothing and escorts the Gohō Zenshin deity back to the shrine.

At the festival described, the event ended around midnight.

Location and access

Venue and address

Ryūkōzan Kiyomizu-dera

By car

Pass through the mountain road at night

Event venue 岡山県久米南町 龍光山清水寺

This map uses the venue name. Check the official guide for the event area and entrances.

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Origins and History of Kiyomizu-dera Gohō Festival

Ryūkōzan Kiyomizu-dera is an ancient temple said to have been founded in 772 by Priest Ichigen, a successor in the lineage of Ganjin.

In 1578, the seven halls and pagodas were destroyed in the ravages of war brought by Ukita Naoie, and the current buildings were rebuilt afterward.

The Kiyomizu-dera Gohō Festival is introduced as a festival with a 700-year tradition combining Shingon Buddhism and Shugendō; locally, it is also known as “Gōsama.”

Kiyomizu-dera Gohō Festival at a Glance

The Kiyomizu-dera Gohō Festival is an unusual festival with a 700-year tradition passed down in Kumenan Town.

It is associated with Shingon Buddhism and Shugendō, and prayers are offered for the flourishing of Buddhism, peace throughout the land, and abundant harvests.

In an account introduced in 2008, after the conch shell, prayers, and the ritual of welcoming the Gohō Zenshin deity, the Gohōmi swung a huge sakaki branch and ran through the temple grounds in an event called “play.”

The 2026 festival date and how to participate cannot be confirmed from this information.

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