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The Origin of the Matsuri
Aoi Matsuri (formally named Kamo Matsuri), is an annual festival of the two shrines Shimogamo-jinja and Kamigamo-jinja. The festival was created as a ritualized petition to the shrine deities for the safety and wellbeing of the state and the people. Aoi Matsuri culminates in a procession held on May 15, just as the fresh growth of spring reaches its peak. It is counted as one of the three great festivals of Kyoto, alongside Gion Matsuri and Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages). The beginning of Aoi Matsuri reaches back about 1,500 years, to the reign of Emperor Kinmei. A succession of crop failures due to heavy rains and storms had led to widespread starvation and disease in Kyoto. Emperor Kinmei ordered the diviner Urabe Ikiwakahiko to discover the cause, which was then deemed to be punishment by the deities. In April by the old calendar, the Emperor dispatched an Imperial Envoy to conduct a ritual to appease the Kamo deities. That was the origin of Aoi Matsuri.Source: Aoi Festival Official Guidebook
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