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Aoi festival in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan - Maiko Nagase (L), sitting in a portable shrine in traditional Japanese costume, chats with her parents during the annual Aoi Matsuri in Kyoto on May 15, 2013. She was chosen to play the role of Saiodai, the heroine of the annual festival, one of the three main festivals in the ancient western capital.

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Heroine of Kyoto's Aoi Festival

KYOTO, Japan - Shiho Kanai, 23, who was selected for the role of Saiodai, the heroine of the upcoming Aoi Festival in Kyoto, dips her hands into a river as part of a purification ritual at Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine on May 4, 2011, ahead of the ancient capital's major festival scheduled for May 15.

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Heroine of Kyoto's Aoi Festival

KYOTO, Japan - Shiho Kanai, 23, who was selected for the role of Saiodai, the heroine of the upcoming Aoi Festival in Kyoto, dips her hands into a river as part of a purification ritual at Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine on May 4, 2011, ahead of the ancient capital's major festival scheduled for May 15. (Kyodo)