Kyoto procession brings historical eras to the streets
京都の時代祭、歴史を彩る行列が街を進む文化・トレンド
- Country:
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Voice:
- 🇺🇸 Katy
英語本文
Kyoto, Japan, held Jidai Matsuri on October 22, 2026, with about 2,000 people portraying historical figures from the Heian to Meiji periods. A major festival of Heian Shrine and one of Kyoto’s three major festivals, it featured historically researched recreations of costumes and ceremonial objects. Spectators watched and photographed the procession under clear autumn skies.
At about 9 a.m., a sacred procession left Heian Shrine for Kyoto Gyoen, the Imperial Palace park. Two portable shrines honoured Emperors Kanmu and Komei, the deities enshrined at Heian Shrine. Historical groups assembled in the park before the roughly two-kilometre procession set off towards the shrine around noon, led by the Ishin Kinnotai group with drums and flutes.
The procession moves backwards through history, from the late shogunate to earlier periods, with representations including Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon. The festival began in 1895 to mark 1,100 years since the capital moved to Heian-kyo, the historical capital at Kyoto.