Gravity（Attraction） of KyotoⅤ A sweet flag（calamus） Festival A sweet flag, a flower that blooms in May and June, is said to ward off evil spirits
Yoshie Doi
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Photo taken on May 18, 2025
Yellow sweet flag in the garden of the Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine office
A sweet flag flowers bloom from May to June. The sweet flag Festival, which is held every year in May, will be held at Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine on May 18th in 2025. I look forward to visiting the shrine every year when the weather is nice.
Since ancient times, sweet flags have been said to be a talisman and evil-warding plant, and have been used to ward off impurities and ward off evil spirits. It is believed that the scent of sweet flags wards off evil spirits, and even today there are days when public baths offer sweet flags baths.
The Tango Festival was an ancient Chinese event to ward off evil spirits. It is said to have taken place 2,300 years ago. The sweet flag was a medicinal herb that warded off evil spirits. People would hang sweet flags under their eaves or take iris baths to ward off evil spirits. It was introduced to Japan during the Nara period.
The fifth month of the lunar calendar corresponds to the sixth month of the modern day, and in ancient China it was believed that evil spirits would enter during the rainy season. In Japan, too, on May 5th, the Boys’ Festival, a day to pray for the growth of children, sweet flags are placed in the bathtub as a prayer for the healthy growth of boys. I have soaked in sweet flag baths many times, and it leaves me with an indescribable feeling of refreshment and resetting.
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar corresponds to the sixth month of the present day, when the weather is unseasonable and people are prone to falling ill. Since the Heian period, people have believed that the scent and medicinal properties of sweet flag can ward off evil spirits. This is the origin of the sweet flag festival.
Every year, I attend the sweet flag Festival at Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine, and I am reminded of the profound depth of Japanese festivals. There are many profound ways to enjoy sweet flags flowers, such as taking sweet flag baths, arranging them, and enjoying their fragrance, which may be ways of enjoying them that are unique to this season.
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Translated by Masami Otani
