Jidai Matsuri

Origins and founding

The festival began after the 1868 Meiji Restoration, when Japan moved its imperial capital, government officials, and court from Kyoto to Tokyo. Local authorities feared Kyoto would lose its standing and public interest. To mark 1,100 years since Emperor Kanmu founded Heian-kyo in 794, the city built the Heian Shrine in 1895 to enshrine his spirit. Organisers launched the first Jidai celebration that year with a costume parade reflecting Kyoto's eras. In 1940, officials also dedicated the festival to Emperor Komei, who helped unify the realm and affirm Kyoto's importance at the end of the Edo period.

The grand procession

The celebration takes place along a two-kilometre route through the city. Events start early in the morning when two mikoshi, or portable shrines, are brought out from the Kyoto Imperial Palace so the public can pay respects. In the afternoon, a five-hour pageant winds through the streets toward Heian Shrine. Roughly two thousand participants of all ages join the walking reenactment. The parade displays figures from the earliest eras up to the Meiji period, bringing Kyoto's long history to life for spectators.

Costumes across the eras

Participants wear authentic period costumes representing characters and historical eras from Kyoto's beginnings through the Meiji era. The procession includes samurai, military figures, and everyday people from various chapters in Japanese feudal history. Women taking part in the parade wear the elaborate junihitoe, an intricate multi-layered garment. Each period is represented in detail, allowing onlookers to see how clothing, military gear, and social roles shifted over more than a thousand years of the city's past.

Sacred shrines and music

At the spiritual centre of the event are the mikoshi representing Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei. After the historical figures have passed, the two sacred palanquins travel from the imperial palace toward their home at Heian Shrine. Accompanying the portable shrines is a costumed military band performing gagaku, the traditional court music of Japan. The procession finishes at the shrine grounds, marking the end of the festival while maintaining a living connection between Kyoto and its imperial founders.

How Jidai Matsuri is kept

Activities begin in the early morning at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, where portable shrines representing Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Komei are presented for public veneration. In the afternoon, a two-kilometre, five-hour procession sets off. Approximately two thousand participants dressed as samurai, military figures, court women in multi-layered junihitoe robes, and everyday citizens march through the streets. A costumed military band playing traditional gagaku music accompanies the portable shrines as the entire gathering moves to Heian Shrine, where the parade concludes.

When and where

The festival is held every year on 22 October. On rare occasions, the date is adjusted for major national events, such as when the 2019 festival was moved to 26 October for the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito.

The festival takes place entirely in Kyoto, Japan. The parade travels along a two-kilometre path, starting at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and concluding at the Heian Shrine.

What Jidai Matsuri means

Created after the capital moved to Tokyo, the festival serves to protect Kyoto's civic identity and celebrate its heritage. By honouring Emperor Kanmu, who founded the ancient city, and Emperor Komei, who led it before the modern era, the celebration connects local citizens to Kyoto's imperial roots and recalls over a millennium of historical eras.

Questions people ask about Jidai Matsuri

See also

HalloweenAn annual observance on 31 October marking the eve of All Saints' Day, rooted in Christian tradition and Celtic heritageHanamiA Japanese spring custom of gathering under blooming cherry trees to eat, drink, and celebrate the fleeting beauty of thBuddha's BirthdayA festival marking the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, observed across Asia with temple rituals and community gatherings.SetsubunA Japanese ritual of throwing roasted soybeans to banish evil spirits and welcome spring.

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Jidai Matsuri on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

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