Our story begins in 1895. The Meiji Period – when Heian Jingu Shrine was built. While it is not so old when compared to Kyoto’s long history, it enshrines two former emperors, Kammu and Kōmei. One can see the reason for that in the composition of the shrine and the Jidai Festival.
So, why was Heian Jingu built? Back then, in the twilight of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Emperor of Japan’s seat was moved to Tokyo – another sign of the end amidst the bloody wars. Through the chaos, the people of Kyoto rebuilt and endeavored to retain the city’s old charm. The Heian Jingu Shrine construction project began as a symbol of that commitment, and there they enshrined and deified Emperor Kammu, who had moved into the imperial capital known as Heian-kyō, as a god. Later, they would enshrine Emperor Kōmei, the last emperor in Kyoto, alongside him.
Heian Jingu’s main building recreates Heian-kyō as built by Emperor Kammu. In this space, visitors can take a wistful look back upon an era 1,200 years gone.

And it is here where the Jidai Festival is held yearly on October 22nd. That date marks the birth of Kyoto – in other words, the day Emperor Kammu moved his Imperial seat to Kyoto. On that day, the spirits of Kammu and Kōmei board a portable shrine fashioned after an imperial carriage, to be paraded through the city starting from the Kyoto Imperial Palace and ending at Heian Jingu. Thus do the emperors see Kyoto’s prosperity, its citizens, and their lifestyles, accompanied by a 2,000-strong procession. In other words, it is not just a parade, but rather like a holy festival.

Said parade is split into 20 processions fashioned after eight historical eras, tracing back through a millennium from the time of Emperor Kōmei, the Meiji Restoration, to Emperor Kammu’s Heian Period. Each procession is a painstakingly researched reenactment of its corresponding era, including costumes and devices. And because they were crafted using the same methods as in the past, every procession is worthy of display in a museum.
Only Kyoto, a city with a long history of technology and craft, can bring such a historical tapestry to life. As a spectator, you can see the costuming and tools and imagine the era for yourself – at times, perhaps, feeling like a period film.


And just what drama hides within the pages of history? Let your imagination fill in the blanks as you unfurl the living scrolls of history.