Jidai Matsuri or Festival of Ages

Dancers in front of Heian Jingu Shrine

Yes, Turkey post is on an extended break. I think I have about another 10-13 posts to write about Turkey so bear with me. So.....Jidai Matsuri 時代祭. On every Oct the 22nd, Kyoto City will hold the Jidai Matsuri parade, which is also known as the Festival of Ages. This year around 2000 people took part in the parade which was held under threat of dark clouds and rain.


Pretty girls at the start of the parade. After taking the pic I realised I focused on the people rather than the girls

I was there so early because I thought there would be so many people at Heian Jingu Shrine where the parade will end. And it turned out I was wrong. So I stood there at the junction in front of the red shrine an hour and a half earlier, freezing and desperately hoping it won't rain. Ah, thank god I brought my Love in the Time of Cholera with me. Gabriel García Márquez saved the day.


No idea who he was suppose to be. Should have bought the Jidai Matsuri booklet

A dance was performed by a large group of ladies before the head of the parade arrived at the shrine. I liked the dance because of the symmetry and that everyone was so synchronised. After that, they quickly dispersed and the first of the long parade arrived. Ahead were the guests from Florence, Italy, who joined the parade to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a pact between the cities. (Source: Japan Today)


Rain, rain......

I can't remember if the Italian guests came first or the drummers came first....hmm.. Anyway, then came a long list of people in the procession dressed in period costumes representing the various styles throughout the history of Kyoto. And I am sorry, I don't know who each one is supposed to be so I cannot describe the pictures fully.


Pushing the carriage (?) into the front grounds of Heian Jingu

Kyoto was the capital of Japan in the year 794. On the 1100th anniversary of the transferance of the capital to Kyoto, Jidai Matsuri was held to commemorate that event and since then, it became one of the three biggest festivals in Kyoto (after Gion Matsuri and Aoi Matsuri).


Someone as someone

Personally, I prefer Gion Matsuri, which is by far the most colourful and entertaining festival in Kyoto and probably the biggest too, in Japan as well. Back to J.M., the procession starts from people dressed in costumes from the year 1894 and then work its way back to the year 794.


The procession coming from the huge red tori

The paraders will walk along a 4.5km route starting at noon from the Kyoto Imperial Palace and ending at Heian Jingu Shrine.


Er...samurais? You know, I don't actually know what a samurai outfit is suppose to look like....just a vague picture in my mind

Heian Jingu Shrine was built to celebrate the 1100th anniversary and this festival is a major event for the shrine. From now on, I will just put up the pics with inane comments underneath it because I don't know who they were supposed to be and it is 2am and I am so sleepy.


I like this picture. I like blue. Blue is nice


Purple is nice too


I like their katanas....I want them


I read somewhere that some of these pretty girls are maikos dressed in the period costumes


Poor kids.....long walk


She looks scary


I like the print on the blue top


Do you think all of them are from the same family?


More warriors coming


Ah...finally something I can give info on. They are supposed to be Murasaki Shikibu & Sei Syo-nagon, though you can't really see Ms Syo-nagon....or is it the other way around?


I like this picture, I like the view


This picture has a story behind it. It was such a cold day, wind, rain and all that, that quite naturally nature called and I really needed to go to the bathroom. And when I finally did, I came out only to see the last of the parade entering Heian Jingu. In the nick of time.


After the last of the parade entered the shrine, they closed the doors on us. So here were everyone desperately trying to get that last shot.


The crowd leaving


Ahh.....the secret picture. Took it from between the space of the closed doors. A ceremony being held inside Heian Jingu which was not opened to public