Kanname-sai (Harvest Offering Festival)

What Is Kanname-sai?

October 17th is "Kanname-sai," a ritual held at the Imperial Palace and at Ise Grand Shrine in which the year's newly harvested rice (the first ears) is offered to the sun goddess Amaterasu in thanksgiving. It is considered the most important festival at Ise Grand Shrine and is even called "the Shrine's New Year." From the Meiji era until 1947 it was also a national holiday, and in haiku it serves as a seasonal word for autumn.

To the Gods First, Before Niiname-sai

While Niiname-sai on November 23rd (today's Labor Thanksgiving Day) is the festival in which the Emperor offers new grain to the gods and partakes of it himself, Kanname-sai comes about a month earlier and first offers the new grain to Amaterasu.

• Meaning:a thanksgiving festival offering the year's new grain to Amaterasu
• Date changes:the 17th of the 9th lunar month; then September 17th on the solar calendar from 1873; then, because the rice was not ripe enough, October 17th from 1879
• National holiday:a national holiday from 1874 to 1947; a regular weekday since 1948
• Local name in Ise:the people of Ise call it "Omatsuri" (the great festival) and hold celebrations

"The Shrine's New Year," When Vestments and Ritual Tools Are Renewed

At Ise Grand Shrine, sacred vestments and ritual tools are renewed for Kanname-sai, which is why it is called "the Shrine's New Year." The Shikinen Sengu, the rebuilding of the shrine every 20 years, is even described as a "grand Kanname-sai." It is also said that the shrine's priests and the people of Ise do not eat the new rice until Kanname-sai is over. At the Imperial Palace, the Emperor pays his respects toward Ise Grand Shrine from afar.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Enjoy this year's new rice and give thanks for the autumn harvest
• Learn about Kanname-sai and the Shikinen Sengu at Ise Grand Shrine
• Tell family or coworkers how it relates to Labor Thanksgiving Day (Niiname-sai)
• Visit a nearby shrine and take in the season of harvest

The Roots of Japan's Autumn Gratitude for the Harvest

Kanname-sai, in which the harvest is first offered to the gods, reflects the Japanese spirit of gratitude toward nature. October 17th is a day to think about the new rice on our tables and give thanks for the bounty of autumn.