Aoi Matsuri

What Is Aoi Matsuri?

Aoi Matsuri, held in Kyoto every year on May 15, is the annual festival of Shimogamo Shrine (Kamo-mioya Shrine) and Kamigamo Shrine (Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine), and its formal name is the Kamo Festival. It is a "chokusai," a festival attended by an imperial envoy sent by the emperor, and it is counted among Kyoto's three major festivals along with the Gion Festival and the Jidai Festival.

Origins and History of Aoi Matsuri

Aoi Matsuri is an old festival said to have begun about 1,500 years ago.

• Origins: It is said to have begun when, in the time of Emperor Kinmei, a bad harvest was blamed on a curse of the Kamo deity, and a ritual with racing horses was performed. Shimogamo Shrine dates this to the 5th year of Emperor Kinmei (544).
• A national event: In 819, it became a national event performed in line with the court's important regular rituals.
• "The festival": In ancient times, it is said to have been so rooted in aristocratic society that the word "festival" referred to the Kamo Festival.
• Interruptions and revivals: It was interrupted or its procession canceled several times, including for about 200 years after the Onin War, but the courtly traditions were faithfully preserved.

Why It Came to Be Called "Aoi Matsuri"

The Kamo Festival is said to have come to be called Aoi Matsuri after it was revived in 1694. From then on, everything from the blinds of the imperial palace hall to the ox carriages, the envoy, the costumes of participants, and even the oxen and horses was decorated with aoi leaves, which gave the festival its name. The aoi used is futaba-aoi (Asarum caulescens), and each year the two shrines deliver it to the Imperial Palace.

Tips for Marking This Day

• If you are in Kyoto, go see the "Roto no Gi" procession from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines
• Learn about Heian-period costumes such as those of the Saio-dai and the imperial envoy
• Look up Kyoto's other two major festivals, the Gion Festival and the Jidai Festival
• Check the shape of futaba-aoi leaves in photos or a plant guide

A Day When a Heian Court Scene Comes to Life

The highlight of Aoi Matsuri is the "Roto no Gi" procession, in which more than 500 people line up dressed just like Heian aristocrats. Setting out from the Kyoto Imperial Palace, the procession travels about 8 km to Shimogamo Shrine and then on to Kamigamo Shrine. Why not experience traditional Japanese culture while thinking about a festival with a history of nearly 1,500 years?