Walking in a Thousand-Year-Old Night in Kyoto

At Kitano Tenmangu Shrine in Kyoto, there is a summer ritual called Tanabata Ashitsuke Toro. People walk slowly through cold water while holding small lanterns. When I joined it, I felt as if I had stepped into a night from a thousand years ago. Here, I would like to share why that night felt so different to me.

Tanabata was originally a day to clean the body and mind with water and pray for health and Improvement in one’s arts and skills. Today it is known as a romantic festival. At Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, this tradition of prayer has been kept for more than a thousand years.

One summer night, I joined this ritual. The shrine was very quiet. I could only hear the sound of people walking in the water. A small lantern in my hand was shaking in the dark. When I looked at the light, I felt as if I had stepped into a night from the distant past.

Together with my friend, I carried a small flame, cupping my hand around it to protect it from the wind. In that moment, my wishes faded from my mind and I focused only on keeping the flame alive. Then I thought that people in the past walked in the same way. That realization touched me deeply.

In that quiet moment, the water and light felt unchanged, as if they had been there for a thousand years. If you visit Kyoto in summer, do not just watch this ritual. Try joining it. As you walk in the water, you may feel that you are stepping into the same night as people did a thousand years ago.