Ran into “on the road ceremony” of Aoi festival, which is one of the biggest festivals in Kyoto. More than 500 people dressed up with the formal ceremonial garbs of the 6th century and marched down from Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial palace), through Shimogamo Shrine, to Kamigamo Shrine. If another big festival “Gion festival” is for the common people, this festival is for the nobles. This festival is held on May 15th every year, regardless of weekday or weekend. This year, 15th was Tuesday, however, many people was gathering along the street to see this parade.

Originally this festival is called “Kamo festival” and this started on the 6th century. Around that time, the city had suffered the famine and the epidemic because of wind and flood damage. Emperor Kinmei thought these all because of the curse of the deities in Kamo. Therefore, he appointed Urabenoikiwakahiko, who was the worshipper of the deities in Kamo, as an imperial messenger and held a ritual to quell the wrath of the deities. In the ritual, wishing for a good harvest, people belled on horses and wore a deer head (or boar head. another theory exists) themselves and had a race together. This is called the origin of Aoi festival.

There were the moment that this festival had ceased because of internal disturbances. However, in 1694, the Edo period when the House of Tokugawa has governed Japan, Aoi festival was revised with the support by the House of Tokugawa. Therefore, Hollyhock(Aoi) patterns, which was the emblem of Tokugawa house, were embedded on all the ornaments and decoration, such as arms and dresses on imperial messengers, accompanying people, oxen and horses. This is why people call this festival “Aoi festival”. Even after that, Aoi festival was interrupted a few times by other disturbances or WW I and II in the Showa period, but until now this festival has been loved and performed by people in Kyoto and keeps attracting even people from other countries.