[Kyoto's Three Major Festivals] Aoi Matsuri Festival

Features of this Plan

• Colorful Court culture set off against spring green in Kyoto

  

  Aoi Matsuri has been passed down for more than a thousand years. Wars, social conditions and other circumstances forced suspension or contraction of the festival at various times. However, it was always revived due to the efforts and support of people and institutions throughout society, including the Imperial Court, the shogunate and shrines. Apart from being a set of formal rituals, Aoi Matsuri is also a priceless festival that retains the rich culture of traditional Court customs. Imperial Court picture scrolls present a panorama of Court elegance that still lives on today in everything from the festival period attire to implements used in rituals.

• Roadside procession

  

  Among the various festival rituals collectively known as Aoi Matsuri, the procession (Roto-no-gi) and Shrine Rituals (Shato-no-gi) are held on May 15. The procession is renowned throughout Japan as a panorama unfolding along Kyoto streets, as it leaves Kyoto Imperial Palace and heads toward the Kamo shrines (Shimogamo-jinja Shrine and then Kamigamo-jinja Shrine). Shato-no-gi, or Shrine Rituals, are held at each shrine. It is a spectacular procession, stretching over about one kilometer and includes over 500 people in Court attire, 36 horses, 4 oxen, 2 ox-drawn carriages and 1 palanquin. The procession is in two parts: the Main Procession led by the Konoe-tsukai-Dai, as representative of the Emperor, and the Saio-Dai Procession, which is centered on the Saio-Dai. In earlier days, the Saio-Dai, the central character of the entire procession, was an unmarried female of the Imperial Family.

• What is the Saiodai?

  

  The Saio is an unmarried female of the Imperial Family who serves at the Kamo shrines on behalf of the Emperor. The practice began during the Heian period, when Emperor Saga (reigned 809-823) sent his daughter as Saio to the Kamo shrines. This system continued for about 400 years, ending at the start of the Kamakura period. It was restored in kind in 1956, with a Saio-Dai (Saio Representative) being selected from among Kyoto citizens every year for the procession of women. Each year, the Saio-Dai is the center of attention in Aoi Matsuri.

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