Aoi Matsuri Gorgeous Parade on 15th of May

In coming 15th of May, there is a big festival in Kyoto, Aoi Matsuri Festival!! This is one of the three big festivals in Kyoto along with the Gion Festival and the Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Ages)!  The highlight is the gorgeous parade recreating the exact scene of the ancient Heian Court.

I will guide two Australian couples (4 seniors) on that special day. :)  They will be arriving by train from Kobe after a cruise that includes day tours at Nagasaki and Kagoshima, very unique!! I will start the tour from Kyoto station in the morning as usual.

After visiting either must-to-visit temple of Tenryuji in the west or Kinkakuji in the north in the morning, I'm planning to head for Kamigamo shrine directions in the afternoon, where is the final location of the parade.

Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines are said to be the origin of Kyoto, the most traditional and sacred area for Japanese people like Ise Jingu Shrine in Mie prefecture. I like the Kamigamo shrine area very much with such pure mood in the air... on your each breathing you may feel the whole body to be purified. 

My recommended viewing location is along the upper part of Kamo riverside if in the afternoon. The parade takes the route of narrow street called "Kamo Kaido" trail. I think those sacred mother nature and the ancient style parade will be the perfect combination. It's expected very crowded, but I hope we can enjoy the mood and taking many memorial pictures!!


Oh, when you visit Kamigamo shrine, don't miss to try "Yaki-mochi" rice cake at Jinba-do store near from the shrine!!

This is very traditional Kyoto Sweets originated in this area (run out very quickly!!). The soft rice-cake buns with sweet red beans inside, not too sweet, and very delicious!! I like them! :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Parade Course and Time Table:
Imperial Palace (10:30am)
Demachiyanagi Bridge area (11:15am)
Shimogamo Shrine (12:00pm to 14:30pm)
Kitaoji-street to Kamo-Kaido trail (14:40pm to 15:00pm)
Kamigamo Shrine (15:30pm)

Suggested Access to Kamigamo shrine :
Kitayaja Subway station in Karasuma line.

Information :Aoi Matsuri Parade Preservation Society
Tel: 075-254-7650
* Delayed into the following day if in the rain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Why don't you drop in Ota shrine to enjoy the beautiful purple flower, Kakitsubata! It's very close to Kamigamo shrine. 

==>>>  Rabbit-Eared Irises (Kakitsubata) at Ota shrine

Rabbit-Eared Irises (Kakitsubata) at Ota shrine

I bet you would be amazed to see this gorgeous view in front of your eyes! You may not be able to imagine this is real!! This is "Kakitsubata, or Japanese Irises".

Ota shrine is very well-known for its beautiful "Irises" viewing, and what is special is the numbers!!! It's like a huge island of Irises... Everybody who visit the site says, "It's more than expected, really fantastic!!!"

You can never find such tremendous number of Irises planted all at once anywhere throughout Japan. It's designated as National Natural Treasure. Don't miss this breathtaking thousands of rabbit-eared irises!!!

I've visited at Ota shrine during my guide for American tourists on 5th of May. The main reason to visit this area was to enjoy "Kurabeuma Shinji, horse race ritual" held at Kamigamo shrine (Unesco World Heritage), next to Ota shrine. The guest was very interested in photography, so he really wanted to take the cool pictures of horse running!!

Kurabe Uma Shinji is one of the pre-ritual events of Kamo-sai (Aoi-matsuri) "Hollyhock Festival" May 15. "Kurabe" means 'compete', "Uma" means 'horse' and "Shinji" is 'ritual'.

Because the Horse Race ritual itself starts in the middle of the event, so I've decided to drop in Ota shrine to enjoy the Irises before the race start. It was right idea!! We're very lucky to know that Japanese National Holiday (GW) was the perfect timing for Irises in full bloom at the shrine!!!

While enjoying watching Irises the local people was selling traditional "Manju", a rice cake (specialty of the place) across the path, so we've sit down on the wooden bench and enjoyed Manjyu with green tea.

 

After we've been satisfied with nice "view" and "dessert", we've got back to Kamigamo shrine for the excited event to see horses run at their super highest speed just in front of your eyes!!

 

Right after the race started, the rider in the traditional costume was shouting, "Go! Go!", looking really cool. They are selected young men all from the ancestor of noble family related this shrine.  

    

Two horses from each team compete their speed and judge the good harvest in the following year from the result which team was faster.  (The picture above is from official website, I couldn't take a picture of running horse!! :(  It's too fast!! )

 

It was very sacred and dated back a long history. The horse race (in Japan) is said to originate from this shrine.
 

The winner will be coming over to the sacred place where the main priest's waiting to announce his victory. 

 

      Each horse was so cool... :)