The Kikusui Festival at the Historic Futaarayama Shrine in Utsunomiya City, Part 1宇都宮市の歴史ある二荒山神社菊水祭①

The Kikusui Festival at the Historic Futaarayama Shrine in Utsunomiya City, Part 1宇都宮市の歴史ある二荒山神社菊水祭①

The Kikusui Festival at the Historic Futaarayama Shrine in Utsunomiya City, Part 1
宇都宮市の歴史ある二荒山神社の菊水祭。その1

The Futaarayama Shrine in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture
栃木県宇都宮市の二荒山神社

The main festival of Utsunomiya Futaarayama Shrine, known as the “Kikusui Festival,” is held in October. The “Kikusui Festival” originated in 1673 (the 13th year of the Kanbun era) as a divine thanksgiving ritual to express gratitude for being spared from fire disasters by divine protection. Since then, it has become an ancillary festival to the regular autumn festival, held on the Chrysanthemum Festival Day (Chōyō no Sekku), and has come to be known as the Kikusui Festival. During the festival, the deity of Utsunomiya Futaarayama Shrine, Toyokiirihiko no Mikoto, is placed in a hōren (a type of portable shrine) and paraded through the streets of Utsunomiya.

宇都宮二荒山神社の本祭「菊水祭」は10月に開催されています。
「菊水祭」は1673（寛文13）年、神のご加護で火難を免れたことを感謝して、神賑行事（賑わいの神事）が行われ、以来例祭（秋山祭）の付祭となり、重陽の節句（菊祭）に行うようになって菊水祭の名称となりました。
宇都宮二荒山神社の祭神「豊城入彦命（とよきいりひこのみこと）」を鳳輦（ほうれん：神輿の一種）に載せ、宇都宮の街を渡御します。