The Aoi Festival happens in Kyoto every year on May 15th. It is the festival of the Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines, and counts among Kyoto’s three main celebrations, alongside the Gion and Jidai festivals. Its history dates back 1,500 years, beyond the Heian Period.
Back then, Kyoto was plagued with torrential rains, barren soil, famine and disease. When Emperor Kinmei consulted soothsayers to find the cause, he learned that the land was cursed. He sent an envoy to the god to inform him that they would hold a festival in his name. Afterwards, the downpours settled, the land grew fertile, and peace returned to the citizens.
It’s said that the festival was the origin of the Aoi Festival. However, that event happened in an age before Kyoto was the capital of Japan. Records from the era show that the government demanded control, banning the festival via leaflets due to the excessive crowds it attracted. This shows the event’s lively history in this region. The eras passed; Japan’s capital was moved to Kyoto during the Heian Period, where the high-ranking Kamo Shrine was built in reverence to the gods originally enshrined in Kyoto. Moreover, Kamo Shrine’s status was such that it was the only other shrine besides the Ise Grand Shrine to employ a “Saiō,” an Imperial princess serving as envoy to the Emperor in lieu of marriage. This led to the Kamo Shrine’s festival growing into a national, and even more formal, event.
The present-day Aoi Festival is representative of Heian Period aesthetics. It is different from the typical “festival” atmosphere of people lugging gold- and silver-trimmed portable shrines along the road. It is a dignified affair for people to offer prayers to the gods directly. It may seem at a glance to be rather modest, but during the Heian Period it was the height of extravagance, bursting with lively costumes, ornaments, vivid floral arrangements – the peak of beauty in those days. Regular citizens looked forward to the once-yearly Aoi Festival, which became the model of what a “festival” was in that era.
Such deep origins led to the Aoi Festival’s appearance in The Tale of Genji. One of its most famous scenes is the “Battle of the Carriages,” and it goes like this:
The protagonist, Hikaru Genji, is set to participate in one of the Aoi Festival’s processions. Aoi-no-Ue is Genji’s legal, and pregnant, spouse. She originally intended to forgo the parade, but her attendants pressured her until she found herself amidst the procession in a palanquin of her own. However, Aoi-no-Ue and her retinue entered the parade so suddenly that they were unable to find a good spot. They were a high-ranking group, so they decided to oust a plebeian-looking palanquin and take their spot. Said palanquin belonged to none other than Rokujō-no-Miyasudokoro, Genji’s secret lover, who was watching the festival in disguise.
Aoi-no-Ue was well aware of Rokujō’s presence, but she was unable to control her servants. They eventually forced Rokujō’s palanquin out. Frustrated, Rokujō tried to leave, but the thick crowds prevented her exit. Meanwhile, someone shouted, “Here comes the parade!” and Rokujō watched as Genji, who was part of the procession, passed her by. She could not get his attention at the spot that used to be hers. Worse still, Genji appeared to lavish Aoi-no-Ue’s palanquin with his attention. Witnessing this, Rokujō grew more miserable, and she wept. Nevertheless, she felt she’d regret it even more had she not been there to see her lover take center stage at the festival…
The present-day Aoi Festival recreates the magnificent processions of the Heian Period, with participants clad in the clothes of the era accompanied by palanquins. One could say the Aoi Festival is a comprehensive work of art that faithfully preserves Heian Period traditions for the present day, from the costuming to the etiquette. We hope you will connect with the Heian Period’s aesthetics – that you gain a sense of what the people of that era defined as “beautiful.”
We invite you to listen to this guide as you watch each procession. The Aoi Festival is one of Kyoto’s oldest traditions; we hope you will enjoy watching it in person.
