25 April 2016 – Festival fever is set to hit Kyoto on 15th May as Aoi Matsuri, one of three major annual festivals in the ancient capital, takes place. Celebrated right across Kyoto with a special focus on the beautiful Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines, the city will see a stunning parade of 600 participants dressed in traditional costumes from the Heian period as it makes its way through the ancient streets. 

The festival has a rich history dating back to the mid-sixth century when a serious famine occurred and Emperor Kinemi was guided by a fortune teller to organise a celebration to soften the God's anger, as it was believed this was the cause. The parade starts from Kyoto's Imperial Palace and proceeds to the city's oldest two sister shrines Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine where the Emperor's representative reads a message from the Emperor and offers a prayer to the Gods. 

One of the highlights is seeing the 'saio-dai,' the focal lady in the procession who is selected from all the unmarried women in Kyoto as she is dressed in traditional imperial clothing including 12 layers of kimono, weighing 30kg. 

The name of the festival stems from 1694 when everything in the procession, including the participants and carts were decorated with hollyhock leaves, which are called "aoi" in Japanese.

Reserved seated tickets at Kyoto Imperial Park with English commentary through headphones are available from 3,950 JPY (£25 approximately) per person. For those looking just to book reserved seating at Kyoto Imperial park, tickets are available from 2,050 JPY (£13) per person. For more information, visit tabihatsu.jp/tabee-japan/page/list.html?pre_id=26&freeword. 

For more information on Kyoto, visit  kyoto.travel/en.

-ENDS-

Notes To Editors
Photo Captions (From Left to Right):
Image 1: The Aoi Matsuri procession will take an 8KM route through Kyoto on 15 May 2016. Image courtesy of Kyoto CVB.
Image 2: Prayers will be offered to the Gods at Shimogamo-jinja Shrine during the Aoi Matsuri Festival on 15 May 2016. Image courtesy of Kyoto CVB.
Image 3: Over 600 participants will carry carts through the city of Kyoto during the Aoi Matsuri festival on 15 May 2015. Image courtesy of Kyoto CVB.

About KCVB
Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official partnership for international tourism representation of the City of Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto's diverse history and reputation as Japan's original capital and cultural centre provide a wealth of opportunities for tour operators and travel agents.  The city is home to the Imperial Palace whilst also being the only place where 'real' geishas can still be seen, its old temples and Zen gardens interspersed with urban living means that Kyoto is a striking contrast of heritage and modern city.  Its location just 25 minutes from Osaka and 2hrs 15 minutes from Tokyo, make it easily accessible from Japan's two main international gateways. 

For more information or imagery, please contact:
McCluskey International 
Fiona Anderson / Lauren Hill
T: 020 8747 2170
E: kyoto@mccluskey.co.uk