It feels like reading a story scroll.
Jidaimatsuri (Festival of the Ages) is one of the “three largest festivals in Kyoto” lining up with Aoi Maturi Festival, Gion Matsuri Festival, was started in Heian Shrine in the middle of Meiji era. It is a masterpiece that the queue in each period’s costumes walks through the city of Kyoto. You will be immersed in the feeling that you are reading the picture scroll of the historical story. The number of people in the queue will be as high as 2,000 people and will travel a distance of about 4 kilometers over 3 hours.
The queue begins with the costume of the Meiji Restoration period, gradually goes down to Edo, Azuchi Momoyama, Muromachi, and finally it dates back to the Heian era when Heiankyo was built.
At noon the queue leaves the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Then, go down south of Maruta-machi street, Karasumaru street, head towards the center of Kyoto city. After that, the queue will pass through Sanjo Street and arrive at Heian-jingu Shrine which is the goal at around 14:30.
Highlights on the route of Jidaimatsuri Festival will be the Kyoto Imperial Palace at the start point or Heian Shrine at the goal spot. Unlike normal townscapes, these places are popular because there are many gravel roads and historic buildings. You can enjoy the elegant scenery by matching with the line of Jidaimatsuri Festival. Also, because it is not on the road, you will be able to see it relatively relaxed. However, as both are popular spots, people tend to gather and tend to be crowded. As a result, the front row that is easy to see suitable for watching is lost earlier. If you want to enjoy Jidaimatsuri Festival in these two spots, you will need to pick up places as soon as possible.
The costumes of each era seen in the festival are full-fledged, as though they were time slipping in that era. If possible, you can enjoy more by checking the age of each costume in advance. Things about the end of Edo period, about Kyoto in the Edo era, Muromachi, Kamakura, and Heiankyo. You do not need to know everything, but if you examine it even in only one era you will have a different view. Please enjoy the time slip at the Kyoto Jidaimatsuri Festival where you can enjoy the atmosphere of various times.
Charms and Highlights of Jidaimatsuri
Event to celebrate the foundation of Heian-jingu’s 1100th anniversary
The Jidaimatsuri (Festival of the Ages) began in 1895 as an event to celebrate the foundation of Heian-jingu Shrine and commemorate 1100th anniversary of peaceful transfer of national capital to Heian-kyo (Kyoto) 1100 anniversary.
Now, it is counted as one of the Kyoto’s three grand festivals with the Gion festival and the Aoi Festival.
The special feature of Jidaimatsuri Festival is that the customs of each era procession is performed. More than 12,000 amounts of the selection of the best essence of the folkcraft technology like the furnitures, costumes, ceremonial implements which Kyoto cultivated as the capital and was restored to the original state precise time historical investigation, is very impressive.
About two hours from beginning to end to see
20 rows and the procession which amounts to 2000 persons, including two cows, approximately 70 of horses, cow carriages and the Imperial carriage, develop the masterpiece of illustrated scroll between 2 km of total extensions. It takes about two hours from beginning to end to see all of this festival.
The kimono of the woman line draw attentions
At first it is the kimono of the woman line draw attentions.
Also especially in it, there is the woman who wearing several layers of clothing at the same time of itsutsu-ginu (5-layer garment), mo (long pleated skirts), karaginu (a waist length Chinese style jacket). It is so-called Junihitoe (twelve-layered ceremonial kimono).
Samurai’s protector deserves attention
Samurai’s protector also deserves attention. It is from the standard “armor” figure of Masashige Kusunoki of the period of the Northern and Southern Courts to “simple Japanese armor” in the days of Nobunaga Oda of the Azuchimomoyama era.
Recommendation place easy to see
There is a paid seat in Kyoutogyoen, the Oike-dori Street or the Jingumichi road but, etc., but of course you can see it even from the general roadside. Recommendation place is from Higashioji-dori Street of the Sanjo-dori Street to the Jingumichi road. The width of the sidewalk of this neighborhood is comparatively wide, and it is easy to see.
Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)
Name: | Jidaimatsuri (Festival of the Ages) |
Address: | Kyotogyoen, Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 602-0881 Japan |
Access: | Departure point (Kyoto Imperial Palace) Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma-sen Line “Maruta-machi-eki” station (4 minutes walk) |
Tel: | (+81) 75-761-0221 (Heian Jingu Shrine) |
Price / Charge: | Free |
Official site: | http://www.heianjingu.or.jp/ |
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