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Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman (3rd from L) playing the role of the "Saio-dai" heroine in the upcoming annual Aoi festival in Kyoto arrives 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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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 playing the role of the "Saio-dai" imperial princess in the annual Aoi festival in Kyoto arrives at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2023, to attend a purification ritual held ahead of the festival.

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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.

E

Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan Kyodo - A woman playing the role of the "Saio-dai" imperial princess in the annual Aoi festival in Kyoto arrives at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2023, to attend a purification ritual held ahead of the festival.

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 Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2023.

E

Ritual for Aoi festival in Kyoto

A woman playing the role of the "Saio-dai" imperial princess in the annual Aoi festival in Kyoto arrives at Kamigamo Jinja, a Shinto shrine in the city on May 4, 2023, to attend a purification ritual held ahead of the festival.

E

Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Men dressed as nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185) move in a procession during the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals in Kyoto, in the western city on May 15, 2013. Some 500 participants walked around 8 kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines during the festival dating back 1,400 years.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Men dressed as nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185) move in a procession with a decorated ox cart during the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals in Kyoto, in the western city on May 15, 2013. Some 500 participants walked around 8 kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines during the festival dating back 1,400 years.

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Shinto adapting to era of globalization

TOKYO, Japan - Mitsutaka Inui (C), a Shinto priest at Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto City's Kita Ward, poses for photos at the shrine with tourists from Israel at their request after providing them with explanations about Shinto and shrine buildings in English on Dec. 7, 2012.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Participants in the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, move in a procession in the western Japanese city on May 16, 2012. Some 500 participants, dressed as nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185), walked with decorated ox carts and horses around eight kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines, during the ancient capital's major festival dating back 1,400 years.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Participants in the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, move in a procession in the western Japanese city on May 16, 2012. Some 500 participants, dressed as nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185), walked with decorated ox carts and horses around eight kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines, during the ancient capital's major festival dating back 1,400 years.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Participants in the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, move in a procession in the western Japanese city on May 16, 2012. Some 500 participants, dressed as nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185), walked with decorated ox carts and horses around eight kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines, during the ancient capital's major festival dating back 1,400 years.

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Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Participants in the annual Aoi Matsuri, one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, move in a procession in the western Japanese city on May 16, 2012. Some 500 participants, dressed as nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185), walked with decorated ox carts and horses around eight kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines, during the ancient capital's major festival dating back 1,400 years.

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Kyoto's Aoi Festival

KYOTO, Japan - Men dressed as public servants from the Heian Period (794-1185), walk with a decorated ox cart during Kyoto's Aoi Festival on May 15, 2010. Around 500 men wearing costumes from the period took part in the parade, which travels around eight kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines, during the ancient capital's major festival dating back 1,400 years.

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Aoi Matsuri dating back 1,400 years held in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - About 500 participants and around 40 horses and cows parade in the Aoi Matsuri (festival), which dates back 1,400 years, in Kyoto on May 15, 2010. The participants, dressed as nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185), walked around eight kilometers from Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines, watched by about 26,000 people on the parade route.

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Aoi Matsuri dating back 1,400 years held in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - About 500 participants in the Aoi Matsuri (festival), which has a history of 1,400 years, parade through Kyoto on May 15. The participants, dressed like nobles of the Heian Period (794-1185), go about 8 kilometers from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines.

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