Tenjin Matsuri

Tenjin Matsuri (天神祭, Tenjin Matsuri) is a festival held throughout Japan around the 25th of the month every year at Tenmangū shrines, the months varying depending on the location of the shrine. The festival commemorates the death anniversary of the deity Sugawara no Michizane, of these festivals, the one held in Osaka at Osaka Tenmangū Shrine is the largest. Ranking with the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo, the Tenjin Matsuri is considered to be one of the three major Shintō festivals in Japan. Its original purpose was to appease the spirit of Michizane, who was thought to have combined with the thunder god Tenjin.
The Kishiwada Danjiri and Tenjin Matsuri are considered the two key festivals of Osaka, together with the Sumiyoshi and Ikutama Festivals, it comprises one of the three large summer festivals in Osaka. The celebrations climax with a 100 river-boat procession and fireworks show. The reflection of fireworks and lanterns on the Okawa River give it its alternative name of the Festival of Fire and Water.
During the Heian period, Sugawara no Michizane was slighted by the imperial court, dying in exile in Kyushu in the year 903. Shortly following Michizane's death, droughts, fires, and epidemics afflicted medieval Japan, with many of his former political rivals dying suddenly. The court at the time considered Michizane to have combined with the thunder god Tenjin, in order to placate him, a shrine was dedicated to his spirit at Kitano in 947. Following the enlargement of this shrine by Fujiwara no Morosuke in 959, the shrine and related dedications to Michizane played a role in factional rivalries within the Fujiwara clan. The first recorded festival dedicated to Tenjin taking place at Kitano Tenmangū Shrine took place in 987, with the first imperial pilgrimage taking place in 1004 under Emperor Ichijō.
As of 1996 there were 10,441 shrines across Japan dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane.
The legendary history of the Osaka festival states that it began in the year 951 AD, two years after the establishment of Osaka's Tenmangū Shrine. The form of the boat procession had been established by the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (late 16th century), and during the Edo Period, the festival flourished as a symbol of Osaka's prosperity. Despite being paused on numerous occasions due to socio-political upheavals, the festival was restarted after the Second World War in 1949.
The Tenjin Festival has sponsored the "Tenjin Festival Action Plan for Zero Garbage" which has aimed to reduce the amount of combustible material produced as a result of the festival. The organisation was inspired by a similar effort by the Gion Festival that started in 2014. In the first year of its implementation, the amount of combustible garbage generated was halved.
In 2017 it was reported that the yakuza were being excluded from participating in the boat parade and sponsoring fireworks displays, this comes as part of an increasing government campaign to clamp down or organised crime. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the festival was put on hold, with the first full festival taking place in July 2023.
Rituals and dates differ between shrines but most festivals take place on or around the 25th of a given month. For instance, Kameido Tenmangū Shrine holds a festival on the 25th of every month, while in December it encourages people to burn old talismans to give thanks for protection. The shrine at Okazaki holds its festival from between the 23rd to the 26th of September every year. Celebrations include a kendo tournament and a dedication kagura.
Early in the morning on the 24th July, a prodigious student is selected to go to the shrine by the Okawa River; they are given a sacred spear (神鉾, kamihoko) and must float it on the river. To where the spear floats to the divine spirit will be carried to. This is referred to as the Hokonare Ritual (鉾流神事, hokonare shinji).
On the 25th July much of the day's festivities take place around 6pm. When the boat parade begins, each boat is donated to and/or crewed by a citizen's interest group or social club. This practice is called the Funatogyo (船渡御).
At around 7.30pm the fireworks display starts and usually lasts about 90 minutes.
Traditional food associated with the festival includes chilled somen noodles and pike conger.