Reenactors of Hideyoshi Toyotomi & son Hideyori in Heian Shrine's 2024 Festival of the Ages parade (Jidai Matsuri), Kyoto, Japan.

Reenactors of Hideyoshi Toyotomi & son Hideyori in Heian Shrine's 2024 Festival of the Ages parade (Jidai Matsuri), Kyoto, Japan. This parade group with an ox-pulled cart represents Hideyoshi Toyotomi celebrating his son Hideyori attaining manhood, while visiting the Emperor of Japan in Kyoto. After many lords had fought to conquer Japan, Hideyoshi Toyotomi brought the whole country under a single authority in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period 1568-160. Jidai Matsuri is Heian Shrine's "Festival of the Ages" — an elaborate parade of historically-costumed reenactors, held yearly starting at noon on October 22, Kyoto's birthday in 794 CE. This impressive cavalcade marches from Kyoto's old Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. The 2-kilometer-long procession of historically-dressed volunteers represent Japanese cultural history from the Meiji era back to the 780s Enryaku era. Previously located in Nara city, Japan's capital was relocated to Heian-kyō, now known as Kyoto, from 794–1868. Kyoto Imperial Palace hosted Japan's imperial family from the 1300s to 1800s. Both Heian Shrine and its Jidai Matsuri festival were established in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto and to promote a city-wide revival — amidst a period of concern for Kyoto’s future after the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1868, along with the Emperor, the imperial family, and most of the government. The Festival of the Ages is both a celebration of Kyoto’s history and traditional arts and also a ritual to honor Emperors Kammu and Komei (the first and last emperors to reign from Kyoto), whose spirits are honored by Heian Shrine. I photographed the complete 1.5-hour parade twice on the same day in 2024 — first at the parade's first curve, then second at Heian Shrine’s torii gate, 5 kilometers away along the parade's route, reached by public bus.

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Contained in galleries: 2024 Oct: JAPAN all, Kyoto parade: Jidai Matsuri 2024

Reenactors of Hideyoshi Toyotomi & son Hideyori in Heian Shrine's 2024 Festival of the Ages parade (Jidai Matsuri), Kyoto, Japan. This parade group with an ox-pulled cart represents Hideyoshi Toyotomi celebrating his son Hideyori attaining manhood, while visiting the Emperor of Japan in Kyoto. After many lords had fought to conquer Japan, Hideyoshi Toyotomi brought the whole country under a single authority in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period 1568-160. Jidai Matsuri is Heian Shrine's "Festival of the Ages" — an elaborate parade of historically-costumed reenactors, held yearly starting at noon on October 22, Kyoto's birthday in 794 CE. This impressive cavalcade marches from Kyoto's old Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. The 2-kilometer-long procession of historically-dressed volunteers represent Japanese cultural history from the Meiji era back to the 780s Enryaku era. Previously located in Nara city, Japan's capital was relocated to Heian-kyō, now known as Kyoto, from 794–1868. Kyoto Imperial Palace hosted Japan's imperial family from the 1300s to 1800s. Both Heian Shrine and its Jidai Matsuri festival were established in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto and to promote a city-wide revival — amidst a period of concern for Kyoto’s future after the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1868, along with the Emperor, the imperial family, and most of the government. The Festival of the Ages is both a celebration of Kyoto’s history and traditional arts and also a ritual to honor Emperors Kammu and Komei (the first and last emperors to reign from Kyoto), whose spirits are honored by Heian Shrine. I photographed the complete 1.5-hour parade twice on the same day in 2024 — first at the parade's first curve, then second at Heian Shrine’s torii gate, 5 kilometers away along the parade's route, reached by public bus.