Jidai Matsuri

Overview

Jidai Matsuri (the Festival of the Ages) is a festival held as the grand festival of Heian Shrine in Kyoto City on October 22 each year (postponed in case of rain). Together with the Aoi Matsuri in May and the Gion Matsuri in July, it is counted as one of the Three Great Festivals of Kyoto and is widely known as an event representing autumn in Kyoto.

The greatest highlight is the Procession of the Ages. This procession traces about 1,000 years, going back in time from the Meiji Restoration era to the Enryaku era when the Heian capital was built. About 2,000 citizens walk through the streets of Kyoto dressed in costumes and carrying ritual implements that accurately reproduce each era. The way in which figures who appear in history textbooks and common people who colored each age appear one after another has been called a moving picture scroll of historical customs, conveying to the present day the finest traditional crafts that Kyoto has cultivated over long years. The festival date of October 22 commemorates the day on which Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyo.

History and Origins

Jidai Matsuri began in 1895 (Meiji 28) to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the transfer of the capital to Heian-kyo. The relocation of the capital to Heian-kyo took place in 794 (Enryaku 13), and 1,100 years later, in 1895, Heian Shrine was founded to enshrine Emperor Kanmu.

In that year, in order to bring liveliness back to a Kyoto that had begun to lose its vitality following the de facto transfer of the capital to Tokyo, the Fourth National Industrial Exhibition was held with the Okazaki area as its venue. The exhibition was a great success, and that autumn a commemorative festival and ceremony marking the 1,100th anniversary of the Heian capital were held. The procession of historical customs performed on its final day was the beginning of the present Jidai Matsuri.

The founding of Heian Shrine and Jidai Matsuri as its grand festival were born from the feelings of the people of Kyoto at that time, who sought to recover their pride as a capital. Since then, Jidai Matsuri has been supported by the hands of citizens and handed down as a regular event coloring the autumn of Kyoto. The costumes and ritual implements used in the procession are reconstructed based on precise historical research, and they carry the cultural significance of accurately conveying the customs of each era, rather than being mere fancy dress.

Highlights

A procession going back through the ages　The Procession of the Ages begins with the most recent Meiji Restoration era and is arranged to go back in time through the Edo, Azuchi-Momoyama, Muromachi, Yoshino, Kamakura, Fujiwara, and finally the Enryaku era when the Heian capital was built. Led by the Ishin Kinno-tai loyalist corps that appears with musical fanfare, visitors can look back on about 1,000 years of history over roughly two hours.

Historical figures　In the procession, people dressed as figures who appear in history textbooks, such as Kido Takayoshi, Saigo Takamori, and Oda Nobunaga, pass by one after another on horseback or in ox-drawn carriages. Spectators can experience the sensation of encountering historical figures right before their eyes.

Precise historical research　The costumes, hairstyles, and ritual implements accurately reproduce changes across the eras. For example, even among women of the same Heian period, Sei Shonagon is dressed in the twelve-layered junihitoe, while Murasaki Shikibu wears a kouchigi, expressing subtle differences. Paying attention to the shifts in fashion is one of the pleasures of watching.

Rows of commoners and women　Not only famous figures appear. There are also the Muromachi Rakuchu Fuzoku row, which reproduces the elegant dances of the townspeople of Kyoto, and rows of common people who supported each era, such as the Shirakawa-me and Ohara-me women who engaged in peddling. Not only those who stood on the main stage of history but also ordinary people of the streets are brought back to life.

The main procession and two portable shrines　At the center of the procession is the Shinko row. Following the Enryaku era row come the Shinsen-kosha row offering sacred food, the Zenretsu row of gagaku court musicians, and then the Shinko row. The Shinko row includes two go-horen portable shrines, on which ride the divine spirits of Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei, the enshrined deities of Heian Shrine. All the preceding rows are in fact meant to accompany this Shinko row.

Event Information and Access

Date　October 22 each year (postponed by a decision made early on the day in case of rain).

Venue and route　The procession departs at noon from in front of the Kenrei-mon gate of the Kyoto Imperial Palace (Kyoto Gyoen), and heads toward Heian Shrine by way of Karasuma Oike, Kawaramachi Sanjo, and other points. It takes about two hours to see the entire procession.

Number of participants　About 2,000 citizens take part in the procession.

Organizer and related shrine　It is held as the grand festival of Heian Shrine.

Viewing　In addition to watching from along the route, paid viewing seats are set up in places such as Kyoto Gyoen, Oike-dori, and the approach to Heian Shrine, allowing visitors to sit and enjoy the procession at their leisure.

Access　For the departure point at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Marutamachi Station and Imadegawa Station on the subway Karasuma Line are convenient. For the arrival point at Heian Shrine, the city bus stops at Okazaki Park, Museum, and Heian Jingu-mae are the nearest.

Surrounding Area

Heian Shrine, the setting of Jidai Matsuri, is located in the Okazaki district of Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City. Its shrine buildings are notable for reproducing, at roughly five-eighths scale, the Chodo-in, the main administrative compound of the Heian capital, with the vermilion-lacquered Oten-mon gate and Daigoku-den hall rising vividly. The shrine garden within the precincts is a vast pond-strolling garden, also known as a scenic spot where flowers of the four seasons can be enjoyed.

The Okazaki area is also the place that served as the venue for the Fourth National Industrial Exhibition, which became the catalyst for the birth of Jidai Matsuri. Today it is a cultural zone gathering facilities such as the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, the National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto, and the Kyoto City Zoo. A stroll visiting these facilities together with watching Jidai Matsuri is recommended.

In addition, the Kyoto Gyoen, the departure point of the procession, is a vast green space where the residences of court nobles once stood in rows, and it is a place of relaxation for citizens centered on the Kyoto Imperial Palace. On the day of Jidai Matsuri, one can see the procession waiting to depart up close.

Related Information

• Name: Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)
• Location: Heian Shrine, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture (the procession goes from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine)
• Date: October 22 each year (postponed in case of rain)
• Beginning: 1895 (Meiji 28), commemorating the 1,100th anniversary of the Heian capital
• Enshrined deities: Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei
• Number of participants: about 2,000
• Status: one of the Three Great Festivals of Kyoto (Aoi, Gion, and Jidai)

← Explore More Festivals