Kinen-sai
kinensai 祈年祭 also read toshigoi matsuri harvest festival celebrated every year ancient japan february held pray good harvest reflected name sometimes contrasted niinamenomatsuri fall festival celebrated yearly across japan including meiji jingu isonokami shrine emperor tenmu started festival ad shrine engishiki jinmyocho perform ceremony ancient time people held domestic rite called kinensai february april niinamesai november rite people worshiped ancestor god food hearth deity believed spirit ancestor oyagami came rice although agricultural origin quickly developed general celebration imperial power tribute offered god ceremony attended highranking official although emperor participate heian period festival declined celebrated department divinity festival longer celebrated late muromachi period due military conflict revived form called sairō shirakawa house ruling clan department divinity form abbreviated kinensai fully revived meiji restoration engishiki specified imperial involvement four festival kinensai two ōharaeshikis niinamenomatsuri tribute