Choyo Sekku Festival and Incense Offering at Kasuga Taisha

Kasuga Taisha's Choyo Sekku rite is said to date from 1101 and to be the first seasonal-festival observance transferred from the imperial court to a shrine. Also known as the Chrysanthemum Sekku, it is held each year on October 9 from 10:00 in the main sanctuary and Heiden hall, where ancient-style offerings are presented with prayers for national peace and the happiness of all things. Its distinguishing feature is the incense offering that follows, performed by the head of the Shino school of kodo and viewable from the worship area. In the afternoon a kikoh (incense-listening) gathering is held in the precincts. Its date — October 9 rather than September 9 — follows the older lunar sense of the season, preserving the original character of the Choyo festival.