Japan Events and Festivals

10/22/2008 - 10/22/2008Jidai Matsuri

Kyoto's Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Eras) is a glorious opportunity to see the history of the country brought to life. Some 2,000 people wear authentic costumes from every period in Japanese history from the 19th century all the way back to the eighth and walk in a parade 2km long (1.4 miles). The festival only began in 1895, but it commemorates Kyoto's position as the capital of Japan and residence of successive emperors from 794 to 1868. The procession is led by a band impersonating the fife and drum corps of the Meiji Restoration Royal Army and takes you from the grandeur of the Meiji era back through the fierce samurai and elegant geisha of the shogunate to the elegant costumes of the Heian period when Kyoto was first established.