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Aoi Festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan, May 15 Kyodo - A woman playing the role of the Saio-dai priestess (far R), clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, arrives at Kyoto's Shimogamo shrine during a parade in the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of the ancient Japanese capital, on May 15, 2025. (Kyodo)

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Aoi Festival in Kyoto

A woman playing the role of the Saio-dai priestess (far R), clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, arrives at Kyoto's Shimogamo shrine during a parade in the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of the ancient Japanese capital, on May 15, 2025.

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Aoi Festival in Kyoto

A palanquin carrying a woman playing the role of the Saio-dai priestess, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, parades at Kyoto's Shimogamo shrine during the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of the ancient Japanese capital, on May 15, 2025.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

A palanquin carrying a woman playing the role of the Saio-dai priestess, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, leaves Kyoto Imperial Palace for a parade during the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of the ancient Japanese capital, on May 15, 2025.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

A palanquin carrying a woman playing the role of the Saio-dai priestess, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, leaves Kyoto Imperial Palace for a parade during the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of the ancient Japanese capital, on May 15, 2025.

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Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, having been chosen to play this year's Saio-dai heroine during the upcoming annual Aoi Festival in Kyoto, purifies herself at Kamigamo Shrine in the western Japan city on May 4, 2025.

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Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, having been chosen to play this year's Saio-dai heroine during the upcoming annual Aoi Festival in Kyoto, purifies herself at Kamigamo Shrine in the western Japan city on May 4, 2025.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman playing the role of the Saio-dai priestess, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, is seated in a palanquin at Kyoto Imperial Palace for a parade during the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of the ancient Japanese capital, on May 15, 2024.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman playing the role of the Saio-dai priestess, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, is carried in a palanquin at Kyoto Imperial Palace for a parade during the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of the ancient Japanese capital, on May 15, 2024.

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Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, having been chosen to play this year's Saio-dai heroine during upcoming Aoi Festival in Kyoto, purifies herself at Shimogamo shrine in the western Japan city on May 4, 2024.

E

Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, having been chosen to play this year's Saio-dai heroine during upcoming Aoi Festival in Kyoto, purifies herself at Shimogamo shrine in the western Japan city on May 4, 2024.

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Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, having been chosen to play this year's Saio-dai heroine during upcoming Aoi Festival in Kyoto, purifies herself at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2023.

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Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, having been chosen to play this year's Saio-dai heroine during upcoming Aoi Festival in Kyoto, purifies herself at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2023.

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Women wear ancient court robes in Kyoto shrine parade

KYOTO, Japan - Women wear "junihitoe" (12-layer robes), a type of court attire, as participants in a parade held in Kyoto, western Japan, on April 27, 2014, to commemorate the "Shikinen Sengu" periodic renewal next year of a main sanctuary and other buildings at Shimogamo Shrine, one of the World Heritage sites in the ancient Japanese capital.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

Rika Ono, a 23-year-old office worker, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, boards a float for a parade in the annual Aoi Festival, one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, on May 15, 2019. Ono played the role of "Saio-dai" imperial princess, the festival's heroine. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

Shiho Sakashita (L), a 23-year-old office worker, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, in a float for a parade in the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, on May 15, 2018. Sakashita played the role of "Saio-dai" imperial princess, the festival's heroine. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

Shiho Sakashita (C), a 23-year-old office worker, clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, aboard a float for a parade in the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, on May 15, 2018. Sakashita played the role of "Saio-dai" imperial princess, the festival's heroine. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Aoi Matsuri festival in Kyoto

Shiho Sakashita (C), an office worker in Kyoto clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, purifies herself at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2018, as the annual festival's heroine "Saio-dai" of the year. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Aoi Matsuri festival in Kyoto

Shiho Sakashita (C), an office worker in Kyoto clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, purifies herself at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2018, as the annual festival's heroine "Saio-dai" of the year. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Aoi Matsuri festival in Kyoto

Shiho Sakashita (C), an office worker in Kyoto clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, purifies herself at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2018, as the annual festival's heroine "Saio-dai" of the year. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Aoi Matsuri festival in Kyoto

Shiho Sakashita (2nd from R in front), clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, arrives at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in Kyoto, for a ritual on May 4, 2018, prior to the Aoi Matsuri, one of the three major festivals in the old Japanese capital. Sakashita, an office worker in the city, was named as the festival's heroine "Saio-dai" of the year. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Annual Aoi festival held in Kyoto

College student Sayo Tomita (far L), clad in a 12-layer traditional Japanese kimono, boards a float for a parade in the Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main annual festivals in Kyoto, on May 15, 2017. Tomita played the role of "Saio-dai" imperial princess, the festival's heroine. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo