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The Aoi Matsuri procession

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Aoi Matsuri

葵祭 · Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

Photo: Japanexperterna · CC BY-SA 3.0

On May 15, more than 500 people in Heian court dress, adorned with aoi leaves and accompanied by ox carts, walk from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to the Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines.

Know before you go

  • Do not rush into the procession
  • do not step into the route to take photos
  • do not use flash

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Stories & people

Stories & people

Legend

A rite to calm the storms

Legend says that in the 6th century, under Emperor Kinmei, storms ravaged the land and crops failed. Divination revealed the anger of the Kamo deities, so on an auspicious day in the fourth month bells were hung on the horses and people raced wearing boar-head masks; the storms subsided and the crops ripened. This is regarded as the origin of the Kamo Matsuri.

Source: Wikipedia (Japanese): Aoi Matsuri

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

The Aoi Matsuri is the annual festival of the Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines. Its formal name is the Kamo Matsuri, and it is one of the three imperial-messenger festivals, alongside the Iwashimizu and Kasuga festivals, as well as one of Kyoto's three great festivals. Legend traces it to rites held in the 6th century under Emperor Kinmei to quell storms; it became a state ritual of the court in 819 and appears in The Tale of Genji. When it was revived in 1694 during the Edo period, participants were decorated with aoi (hollyhock) leaves, which gave the festival its name. The heart of the festival is the Roto no Gi procession on May 15: more than 500 people with horses and ox carts set out from the Kyoto Imperial Palace and travel about 8 km via Shimogamo Shrine to Kamigamo Shrine. The procession centres on the imperial envoy, and its second half is the women's procession led by the Saio-dai. The saio were imperial princesses who served the Kamo shrines; the custom ended in the Kamakura period, and since 1956 a woman from Kyoto has played the Saio-dai, reviving the women's procession. At each shrine the Shato no Gi rites are performed. In early May there are preliminary rites such as the yabusame horseback archery at Shimogamo Shrine.

Local customs

  • Watch the courtly Roto no Gi procession and its ox carts
  • see the women's procession led by the Saio-dai
  • attend preliminary rites such as the early-May yabusame.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Japan: At fireworks festivals, don't tape off spots in advance, and never fly drones

Do

  • Spread your sheet where there is actual space when you arrive, leaving room for neighbours
  • Follow police and staff directions and move with the crowd
  • Bring plenty of water and cooling gear to prevent heatstroke
  • Riverbanks have lots of insects, so bring repellent
  • Festivals usually go ahead in light rain, so bring a raincoat
  • Take your rubbish home

Don’t

  • Don't mark spots in advance with tape or spray paint on roads or in parks
  • Don't fly drones
  • Don't use selfie sticks in crowds; the Sumida River festival bans them
  • Don't stop in the middle of the path to watch and block the flow

Spots marked in advance are cleared by the organisers, and flying drones is prohibited by law. City-centre festivals run one-way crowd flows, and going against the flow or stopping can cause dangerous crushes.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Excite News: Sumida River Fireworks, access and viewing guide

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Mixed, open-air and private baths: read the signs, don't stare, never take photos

Do

  • Check the signs before entering; mixed baths are clearly marked, and joining is entirely your choice
  • Most mixed baths are nude only, with no swimwear; some allow or lend special bathing wraps or towels, so follow the bath's rules
  • If you prefer not to bathe mixed, use the separate men's and women's baths or a private bath
  • Outdoor baths are slippery and the temperature changes sharply; hold the handrails when moving
  • Use a private bath only within your booked slot and leave on time
  • Tohoku and other regions still have many therapeutic hot springs with mixed bathing; for long therapeutic stays, follow the ryokan's and your doctor's advice

Don’t

  • Don't stare at other bathers, strike up conversations, or linger to watch
  • Don't take photos or videos in the bath area
  • Don't overstay a private bath; the next group is waiting

Mixed bathing works only because bathers keep their eyes to themselves; staring or taking photos will get you asked to leave, and filming others in a bath may break local law.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Wikipedia (Japanese): Konyoku

Essential restrictionsPhotos & dronesKyoto

Kyoto Gion: no photos on private lanes, and do not chase geiko or maiko

Do

  • Keep to public streets such as Hanamikoji-dori
  • Check the sign at the entrance before entering any lane
  • Photograph general street scenes from public streets
  • To see maiko perform, book an ozashiki banquet or a show
  • Treat Gion as a neighborhood where people live

Don’t

  • Do not enter private lanes posted with no-photo signs
  • Do not shoot into a private lane from its entrance
  • Do not chase, surround, or stop geiko and maiko for photos
  • Do not pull at their kimono sleeves or hems

The private-lane photo ban has been enforced since 2019 by an association of Gion residents and shop owners. Signs state a 10,000 yen charge for violations, but accounts differ on whether it can be enforced; the posted amount applies. Violators are asked on the spot to leave.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Sumimasen Guide: Kyoto Gion Private Lanes Photo Rules

Essential restrictionsPhotos & dronesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Stay off private land, and ask before photographing children or people

Do

  • Ask parents' permission before photographing their children
  • Ask geiko, maiko, and other working people before photographing them
  • Check for 撮影禁止 (no photography) signs, and ask staff if there are none
  • Photograph trains and stations themselves without disrupting operations

Don’t

  • Do not enter private homes or land for a shot
  • Do not photograph the inside of homes
  • Do not aim your camera at individual passengers on trains or buses
  • Do not step into rice paddies, flower beds, or along railway tracks for photos
  • Do not use selfie sticks or tripods in crowds or dangerous spots
  • Do not chase or stop geiko or maiko

Trespassing on private land is illegal and can get you told to leave or to delete your photos. Shooting in no-photo areas will be stopped, and photographing children is seen as an invasion of privacy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Aichi Now: Sightseeing Manners

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Bathe nude in the onsen and keep your towel out of the water

Do

  • Bathe fully nude, without swimwear or underwear
  • Rest your small towel on your head or the edge of the bath
  • Tie up long hair so it stays out of the water
  • Enter the bath slowly and keep quiet
  • Leave your phone in the locker
  • Keep your first soak short, and dry off before returning to the changing room

Don’t

  • Do not dip your towel into the bath
  • Do not swim, dive, or talk loudly in the bath
  • Do not take photos anywhere in the bathing area
  • Do not wrap your yukata right side over left; that is how the deceased are dressed

Most of these are written bathhouse rules. Breaking them gets you a reminder from staff, and in serious cases you may be asked to leave. Soaking too long can also make you dizzy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Authentic Local Japan: Onsen Etiquette

Don’t DON'T

  • Do not rush into the procession
  • do not step into the route to take photos
  • do not use flash

Locals appreciate DO

  • The procession is a sacred rite, so keep quiet
  • book paid seats in advance if you want to sit
  • inside the shrines, follow the priests' and staff's instructions on photography

Plan your visit

Practical info

2027 datesMay 15, 2027

Travel tips

  • The Roto no Gi is held on May 15 every year
  • it is postponed in rain, with the decision made the evening before, so check the official announcement. Paid seats are set up in Kyoto Gyoen and along the approach to Shimogamo Shrine
  • prices follow the official announcement. Take the Karasuma subway line to Marutamachi or Imadegawa for Kyoto Gyoen
  • Shimogamo Shrine is a walk from Keihan Demachiyanagi station, and Kamigamo Shrine is reached by city bus.

2027 schedule

  • Fixed date: the 2027 Roto no Gi is on Saturday, May 15, postponed in rain
  • check the official announcement.
Sources & verification notes

Kyoto City Official Travel Guide: Aoi Matsuri

Wikipedia (Japanese): Aoi Matsuri

Festival Calendar

Other festivals in May

All festivals in May