Jidai Matsuri Festival
— A Picturesque Procession ofKyoto’s 1,200 Years of History
The Jidai Matsuri Festival, or “Festival of Ages,” is one of Kyoto’s three biggest festivals (the other two are the Aoi Matsuri Festival in May and the Gion Matsuri Festival in July). It takes place on October 22nd every year which is the anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto as the national capital. In 1867, Kyoto City held the first Jidai Matsuri Festival: a colorful, exotic costume celebration dedicated to the Old Capital’s 1,100-year history.
The first festival also marked the opening of Heian Shrine, a two-thirds scale model of Kyoto’s original imperial palace. The shrine was specially built to enshrine the spirit of Emperor Kanmu (reigned 781-806), who founded Kyoto in 794, and the city’s last reigning emperor, Emperor Komei (reigned 1847-1866).
Today, after more than 140 years, the Jidai Matsuri Festival continues to be a major focus of pride for the city of Kyoto. For most visitors, the festival’s biggest attraction lies in the grand parade. Each group in the procession represents a different period of Kyoto’s history, starting from the Meiji Restoration period (around 1868) and ending with the Heian period (794-1185).
More than 12,000 pieces of furniture, costumes and tools have been recreated based on thorough historical research. It offers visitors a special chance to experience the splendor and detail of Kyoto’s amazing history. The parade itself begins at 7:00 in the morning on the 22nd with the transferal, on sacred palanquins, of the imperial spirits from Heian Shrine to the Old Imperial Palace. At 12:00, the southern central axis of the Old Imperial Palace becomes a massive stage of the ages. A grand costume parade consisting of 2,000 people, about 2 km in length, will start to move across the city to Heian Shrine.
The entire route of the parade stretches about five kilometers. Crowds become most dense at the Imperial Palace and on the approach to Heian Shrine, where spectators may want to get a spot early.Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.