Kanei Gyoko
(the Kanei Imperial Visit)

Folding Screen Painting of the Imperial Visit to Nijo-jo Castle, a pair of six-panel folding screens, designated as a cultural asset by Kyoto City (collection of Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum)

Emperor’s visit to Tokugawa’s castle! Kanei gyoko, five days during which Kyoto was in a jubilant mood

It was on September 6, Kanei 3 (1626) when Emperor Go-Mizuno-o visited Nijo-jo Castle in response to an invitation from the retired shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. It was extremely rare for the emperor to visit a samurai clan. Starting from the Imperial Palace, the emperor’s procession moved north along the Higashinotoin-dori boulevard, arriving at Nijo-jo Castle via the streets of Nakadachiuri-dori and Horikawa-dori. It was a journey of around 2.6 kilometers. It was a procession on a massive scale, with 9,000 participants including people of the shogunate, 540 horses, 12 oxcarts, and 470 litter vehicles, and it is said that even after the head of the procession had arrived at the castle, the trail still remained inside of the Imperial Palace. Both sides of the streets were thronged with spectators and Kyoto brimmed with festivity. Emperor Go-Mizuno-o stayed at Nijo-jo Castle until September 10, where Hidetada and Iemitsu entertained him with many events including court music, kemari (ancient Japanese football game), and Noh performances. These five days were the most dazzling in the castle’s history.

Entertainment and dining for five days

  1. DAY 1
    September 6th, fine
    The emperor’s visit to Nijo-jo Castle
    Iemitsu’s procession headed to the Imperial Palace. At the Palace, Iemitsu expressed his appreciation for Emperor Go-Mizuno-o’s visit to the castle and made his exit after the second out of the three-time repeated ceremony in which sake and appetizers would be served.
    A procession of women, including Empress Masako, headed from the Imperial Palace to Nijo-jo Castle. Then, the emperor’s procession, following Iemitsu and others’, headed from the Palace to the castle.
    At the Chumon Gate of Nijo-jo Castle, Hidetada and Iemitsu welcomed Emperor Go-Mizunoo’s entrance to the castle in the imperial palanquin decorated with a Chinese phoenix.
    Celebratory special meal
    Private banquet
  2. DAY 2
    September 7th, clear and sunny
    Morning meal
    Gifts presented to the Emperor and those below him by the shogun Iemitsu
    Watching bugaku (court dance and music) performance
  3. DAY 3
    September 8th, light rain and showers
    Morning meal
    Gifts presented to the Emperor and those below him by the retired shogun Hidetada
    The emperor watches horse riding
    Kemari performance
    Imperial poetry party
    Playing of wind and string instruments
    ※ The Emperor went up to the castle tower.
  4. DAY 4
    September 9th, rainy and sunny
    Morning meal
    Viewing Sarugaku (Noh)
  5. DAY 5
    September 10th, clear and sunny
    Shichi-go-san meal
    Horses presented
    ※ The Emperor went up to the castle tower again.
    In the afternoon, the Emperor and Empress returned to the Imperial Palace.
Source: Committee for Living History in Kyoto, Nijo-jo Castle, ed. Kyoto Nijo-jo to Kanei bunka. Seigensha Art Publishing, Inc., 2022.
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Kanei Tea Ceremony Taisho Daikyo
(the Taisho Grand Banquets) Taisei Hokan
(Restoration of power to the Emperor)
Creating a reenactment program