Aoi Matsuri

On May 15th each year, this festival is held at Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto. One of the Three Major Festivals in Kyoto along with the Gion Festival and Jidai Festival, it is an early summer event which originated from a ritual praying for good harvest almost 1500 years ago. It is a historical festival mentioned in ancient books such “Pillow Talk'' and “The Tale of Genji.” Officially, it is called “Kamo Festival.” Among the aristocrats in the mid Heian Period, a festival meant Kamo Festival.

The highlight is the Roto no Gi, where people in Heian-period attire walk along almost 8km from Kyoto Gosho through Marutamachi Street and Kawaramachi Street to Shimogamo Shrine. Then, they proceed on Kitaoji Street to Kamigamo Shrine.

The procession consists of the portable shrine, Oyoyo, which carries Saio-dai (queen) in twelve layers of kimono, followed by 500 people, 36 horses, 4 oxen and 2 ox carts, totaling 1km-long. It is worth watching the recreation of Heian painting these days.

Keep your eye on a series of events taking place from early May toward the Aoi Matsuri.