By KENSAKU NISHIDA/ Staff Writer
July 27, 2022 at 07:00 JST
KYOTO--The “Jidai Matsuri” (Festival of the Ages), with its iconic history-themed costume parade, will be held here in all its glory for the first time in three years, organizers announced.
First held in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto as the ancient capital of Japan, the event takes place each October and is one of the city’s three main festivals.
The event was canceled during the last two years due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, with only Shinto rituals performed inside Heian Jinju shrine.
The procession involves 2,000 or so Kyoto residents attired in costumes representing each era in Japanese history, ranging from the Enryaku Era (782-806) to the 1868 Meiji Restoration, parading from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Jingu.
“It would be hugely detrimental to the operation of the festival if it was canceled for a third straight year,” said Keiji Yamada, the president of Heian Kosha, a civic group which organizes the event. “We intend to hold the parade in its usual form while taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.”
When the group announced during a July 5 news conference the event would go ahead, Yamada noted that around 4,000 people, including parade participants, are needed to hold the festival.
He added that organizers had feared a prolonged cancellation in holding the event could render it difficult to hand down festival know-how.
The organizers are now working out details of the parade, which is planned for Oct. 22.
Although it depends on the COVID-19 situation, parade participants will, in principle, be exempt from wearing face masks, although they will be encouraged to wear them in crowded places when taking a rest break.
“The festival is always in danger of becoming obsolete unless participants are able to build on their experiences every year,” said Takahisa Washio, the head priest of Heian Jingu. “This is because it requires a range of roles and gestures that could easily be forgotten.”
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