When I found out Jidai Matsuri was happening on the 22nd of October, precisely when I was planning on being in Kyoto, I was jubilant. And I had good reason.
Every year on the 22nd of October, Kyoto celebrates its history with a long parade with over 2,000 volunteers dressed in authentic, detailed costumes representing various historical periods. The parade started at 12pm and I had been to Fushimi Inari first thing in the morning.
Whilst the weather had been forgiving when I was climbing the sacred Mt Inari, that wasn’t so for the parade viewers and participants. I found a place to stand and wait for the parade just before 12pm with the crowd, but the rain was forcing people to open their umbrellas… while I understand no one wants to be drenched, these blocked the views from anyone in the rows behind, and I think it was also dangerous as I fear I would lose an eye.
Keeping to my principles, I stubbornly did not open my umbrella, and I being tall allowed me to still be able to see some of the parade as they started. I also had my camera with me, and a lens cap to protect it from the rain, and that helped me to take some wonderful pictures. There is also paid seating which can be a comfortable option, but I personally wanted to keep my day fluid and had no idea what to expect. Imagine the parade was a flop?
Well, it was not. As you can see from my pictures, everythig was stunning with people dressed uop in incredibly detailed and accurate customes from head to toe. I honestly felt these could all be actors in high budget Hollywood movies.
The parade started at the Imperial palace and ended at the Heian Shrine, and it goes in reverse chronological order – starting with the Meiji Restoration (19th century) and moving back to the Heian period (8th century) – a great way of travelling back in time. When I was planning my trip to Kyoto, I had no idea this was somethign that was happening – I can’t even quite recall how I found out about it. But once I did, I made sure I was there for it. There was no way I was going to miss a festival in Kyoto, and especially one that takes us through its long and rich history,
It was in 794 the Emperor Kanmu moved the imperial capital to Heian-kyō – the name given to Kyoto at the time – and so this festival marks the anniversary of the city itself. This celebration started to be held in 1895, when the city celebrated the 1,100th anniversary of its founding.
It felt truly special to me to witness Jidai Matsuri, even in the rain. I didn’t stay always in the same place, as I also wanted to see and visit other things in the afternoon. At some point, I was actually freezing cold, as the rain had managed to penetrate some of my layers of clothing, and I had to rush to a little restaurant to have some warm curry.
But if you’re ever around Kyoto at the end of October, remember the 22nd is an important date and you might be able to see this incredible procession. Might not be as famous as cherry blossoms and other festivals from a tourist perspective, but it’s one of the most important in Kyoto, and to me it meant the world to see the effort the city and the communty puts into celebrating its history.
Love, Nic
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Where I stayed in Kyoto: Tune Stay https://booking.tpo.lv/6724knY6
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