Jidai Masuri Festival

 The rich costume pageant portraying Kyoto’s history In 1895, Kyoto city held its first Jidai Matsuri Festival: a colorful, exotic costume parade dedicated to the Old Capital’s 1100 year history. The first festival also marked the opening of Heian Shrine, a 2/3 scale model of Kyoto’s original imperial palace. The shrine was specially built to enshrine the spirit of Emperor Kammu (reigning 781-806), who founded Kyoto in 794, and was the city’s last reigning emperor and Emperor Komei (reigning 1847-1866). Today, after nearly 120 years, the Jidai Matsuri Festival continues to be a major focus of pride for the city of Kyoto. For most visitors, the festival’s biggest attraction lies in the fantastic range of authentic historical costumes, covering twelve centuries of Kyoto’s history and social development, worn by the participants. 

The festival begins at seven in the morning on the 22nd with the transferal, on sacred palanquins (a covered seat carried on poles on the shoulders of two or four people), of the imperial spirits from Heian Shrine to the Old Imperial Palace. At around 12:00, the southern central axis of the Old Imperial Palace becomes a massive stage of the ages. The procession departs from here and slowly makes its way through the streets of Kyoto to Heian Shrine. 

The Jidai Matsuri Festival parade viewing seat tickets: 2,050 yen (reserved seating with a pamphlet; not refundable); Venue: Kyoto Imperial Park / Oike Street / Jingu-michi

Ticket available at: Kyoto Tourist Information Center (Kyo Navi: 8:30-19:00 daily); Kansai Tourist Information Center Kyoto by JTB (10:00-18:00 daily); www.tic-kansai.jp/kyoto/ 

 Kyoto Tourist Information Center by H.I.S. (9:00-18:00 daily); his-kyoto.com/ ;

Osaka Tourist Information Center by H.I.S. (9:00-21:00 daily); his-osaka.com/

*Parade viewing seat tickets with English guidance are available. (http://www.kyoto-magonote.jp/en/) ; *Ticket price will be set separately.