Kyoto · Kyoto
Jidai Matsuri
時代祭
Heian Shrine's rite: a thousand years of costume, walked past in chronological order.
Next
22 October 2027
364 days away
Every year, 22 October — Postponed to the next day if it rains
Future dates: 22 October 2027 · 22 October 2028 · 22 October 2029
Origin
After the capital moved to Tokyo and Kyoto went quiet, Heian Shrine was built for the 1,100th anniversary of the city's founding, and this became its festival. It is the youngest of Kyoto's three great festivals, and the most deliberately designed: an attempt to make a fading civic memory visible again.
What to look for
Roughly two thousand people walk in reverse chronological order, from the Meiji era back to the Heian. The costumes are reconstructions based on documentary research — read it as a moving history of dress and it becomes a different event. The column takes about two hours to pass, so pick the century you care about and position yourself for it.
How to watch
Outside the paid seating you stand. Avoid parking yourself in front of a shop for hours. The order of the column is the same every year, so getting hold of the printed running order tells you exactly how long your wait is.
Where
Heian Shrine
Kyoto, Kyoto
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