Kannamesai Festival

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Kannamesai Festival, sometimes called Ōmatsuri^[1] is one of the most important festivals of Ise Jingu.^[1][2] Held October 15-17 each year, this ritual makes offerings of the first harvest of crops for the season to Amaterasu.^[1][2][3] An imperial envoy carries the offering of rice harvested by the Emperor himself to Ise, as well as five-coloured silk cloths and other materials, called heihaku (幣帛).^[2]

The festival is the culmination of a cycle of festivals that take place throughout the year, beginning in April with the Shinden Geshusai (神田下種祭) which sees the sowing of the rice seeds. This is followed by Otaue Hajime (御田植初) where seedlings are transplanted in May, harvest at the Nuibosai (抜穂祭) in September, and finally, the Kannamesai.^[1]

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