Komaneko Festival

Overview

Komaneko Matsuri is a "town-walking event" held in early September each year at Kotohira Shrine and the surrounding town in Mineyama, Kyotango, Kyoto Prefecture. Centered on the nationally rare "komaneko" (guardian cats) enshrined at Konoshima Shrine, an auxiliary shrine within the grounds of Kotohira Shrine, it is a relatively new festival whose first edition was held in 2016 by townspeople seeking to revitalize the community. A wide variety of events—a handmade-goods market, art exhibitions, rescue-cat seminars, and cat-themed limited menus at local eateries—unfold across the shrine area and the town area, aiming to widen connections among people while rediscovering the appeal of Mineyama.

History and Origins

Mineyama flourished as a major center of Tango chirimen silk crepe, first woven here in 1720 (Kyoho 5) by Kinuya Saheiji. Cats that hunted the mice harmful to silkworm cultivation were prized, and at Konoshima and Sarutahiko shrines within the grounds of Kotohira Shrine, "guardian cats" rather than guardian dogs were dedicated as protectors of sericulture. Konoshima Shrine was established in 1830 (Bunsei 13), inviting the deity of sericulture from the Kaiko-no-Yashiro in Uzumasa, Kyoto. But recession after the oil crisis and competition from cheap imports caused silk production to plummet, and the town lost its vitality. Local residents who felt a sense of crisis sought to restore pride in the town's history and conceived of community revitalization centered on these rare guardian cats. In 2011 (Heisei 23), the 200th anniversary of Kotohira Shrine's establishment, the "Neko Project" was launched. Efforts such as having local elementary-school children paint unglazed ceramic komaneko made by an artist and line them up in the shrine grounds continued, and as an outgrowth of this the Komaneko Matsuri began in 2016.

Highlights

In the central Kotohira Shrine area, attractions include the "Konpira Handmade Market" running since 2009, hands-on activities such as painting ceramic komaneko and cat votive tablets, art exhibitions such as quilt shows and "cat's eye" exhibits by professional artists, displays of rescue-cat activities, and sales of cat goods. Traditional hanging ornaments made of Tango chirimen and photo spots are also set up. In the "town area," meanwhile, long-established Tango chirimen shops open their interiors, and there are chirimen-furoshiki and hand-loom experiences and art exhibitions using vacant storefronts. Local eateries and confectioners offer cat-themed limited menus and products such as "komaneko barazushi" and "komaneko monaka," and a stamp rally held from about a month beforehand is also popular.

Event Information and Access

The festival is held in early September each year at Kotohira Shrine and the surrounding area in Mineyama, Kyotango. The nearest station is Mineyama Station on the Kyoto Tango Railway Miyatoyo Line, with parking available in front of Kyotango City Hall and at the Kotohira Shrine lot. As a tie-in, the one-day unlimited-ride "Komaneko ticket" for the Kyoto Tango Railway (limited to 222 tickets—"nyan nyan nyan") is sold each year, among events linked with the railway. Because the events are mainly outdoors, parts of the festival are canceled or postponed in some years due to typhoons or bad weather.

Around the Site

Within the grounds of Kotohira Shrine, the central venue, stand Konoshima Shrine, where the namesake guardian cats are enshrined, as well as a permanent display of "ishi-neko"—natural stones painted with cats—along the stone steps of the approach. The Kyotango area, including Mineyama, is part of the Japan Heritage "Tango Chirimen Corridor," and merchant houses and townscapes that convey the history of Tango chirimen remain. The Tango Peninsula, facing the Sea of Japan, is also rich in seafood and scenic spots, a land where one can enjoy both textile culture and nature.

Additional Information

The guardian cats at the heart of the Komaneko Matsuri were designated cultural properties of Kyotango as the "Stone Guardian Cats of Kotohira Shrine" in September 2020. Featured in various media as a representative attraction of Kyotango, they have helped Mineyama become known as the "town of guardian cats." Though the first edition aimed for 1,000 visitors, more than 2,000 came thanks in part to social-media buzz, filling local restaurants and bringing life to the town. Rather than a long-standing traditional rite, it is a contemporary festival born from unearthing the memory of a declined local industry and regional resources, attracting attention as a successful example of resident-led community revitalization.

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