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The Jidai Matsuri procession (2009)

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Jidai Matsuri

時代祭 · Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

Photo: Corpse Reviver · CC BY-SA 3.0

On October 22, about 2,000 Kyoto residents in costumes spanning the Meiji Restoration back to the Heian period walk in procession from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine.

Know before you go

  • Do not step into the procession route
  • do not stand in the middle of the road to take photos
  • do not touch the participants' costumes or props

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

Stories & people

Stories & people

History

A festival born to revive Kyoto

After the emperor moved to Tokyo in the early Meiji years, Kyoto lost much of its vitality. In 1895 the city hosted the 4th National Industrial Exhibition and founded Heian Shrine to mark 1,100 years since the capital's founding; the Jidai Matsuri procession was first held on the final day of the commemorations and went on to become one of Kyoto's three great festivals.

Source: Kyoto City Official Travel Guide: Jidai Matsuri; Wikipedia (Japanese): Jidai Matsuri

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

The Jidai Matsuri began in 1895. That year Kyoto built Heian Shrine to mark the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the capital Heian-kyo, and the Heian Kosha, the citizens' association that ran the shrine, launched the festival to lift the city's spirits after the capital had moved to Tokyo. October 22 is traditionally said to be the day Emperor Kanmu moved the capital from Nagaoka-kyo to Heian-kyo, and is regarded as Kyoto's birthday. The Procession of the Ages is made up of about 2,000 residents organised into 20 groups across eight eras: the Meiji Restoration, Edo, Azuchi-Momoyama, Muromachi, Yoshino, Kamakura, Fujiwara and Enryaku. It is about 2 km long and takes around two hours to pass. Costumes and props for figures such as Sakamoto Ryoma, Saigo Takamori, Oda Nobunaga, Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon are recreated from historical research, like a walking picture scroll of Kyoto's history.

Local customs

  • Watch the Procession of the Ages along the route or from paid seats
  • use the procession guide to identify the historical figures
  • visit Heian Shrine afterwards.

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 step into the procession route
  • do not stand in the middle of the road to take photos
  • do not touch the participants' costumes or props

Locals appreciate DO

  • Book paid seats in advance if you want to sit
  • watch from the designated roadside areas
  • on rainy days check the official notice early that morning

Plan your visit

Practical info

2027 datesOctober 22, 2027

Travel tips

  • Fixed date: October 22 every year
  • postponed in rain, with the decision made early that morning, so check the official announcement. The procession leaves the Kyoto Imperial Palace at noon and travels via Karasuma-dori and Sanjo-dori, arriving at Heian Shrine along Jingu-michi, a route of about 4.5 km. Paid seats are set up in places such as Kyoto Gyoen
  • prices follow the official announcement. Take the Karasuma subway line to Marutamachi or Imadegawa for Kyoto Gyoen, or the Tozai line to Higashiyama for the Heian Shrine area.

2027 schedule

  • Fixed date: Friday, October 22, 2027, postponed in rain
  • check the official announcement.
Sources & verification notes

Kyoto City Official Travel Guide: Jidai Matsuri

Wikipedia (Chinese): Jidai Matsuri

Wikipedia (Japanese): Jidai Matsuri

Festival Calendar

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