What Is the Jidai Matsuri?｜A Journey Through 1,000 Years of Kyoto History, with a Former Geiko’s Personal Story | 和食は京都府、京都市のますます増田 | ブログ

Kyoto’s three major festivals are:

• Aoi Matsuri – held in May
• Gion Matsuri – held in July
• Jidai Matsuri – held in October

Each festival reveals a different side of Kyoto.

The Aoi Matsuri evokes the refined world of ancient court culture.

The Gion Matsuri fills the city with magnificent floats and centuries-old traditions.

And the Jidai Matsuri brings Kyoto’s history to life through people, costumes, horses, oxen, and traditional carriages.

For this reason, the Jidai Matsuri feels less like simply watching a festival and more like watching history pass directly in front of you.

The Jidai Matsuri is held as a major annual festival of Heian Jingu Shrine.

It began in 1895, when Heian Jingu was established to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the transfer of Japan’s capital to Heian-kyo, the ancient name for Kyoto.

The historical procession was introduced the following year and has continued to this day.

One of its most distinctive features is the way the procession moves backward through history.

It begins with figures from the Meiji period and gradually travels further into the past, eventually reaching the early Heian period.

In 2026, the procession is scheduled to begin at 12:00 noon from the Kyoto Imperial Palace, traveling through central Kyoto before reaching Heian Jingu at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Around 2,000 participants take part in the procession, which stretches for approximately two kilometers.

For one afternoon, the streets of modern Kyoto become the setting for a living history lesson.

The most fascinating part of the Jidai Matsuri is seeing history represented by real people.

You can see people dressed as figures from different periods of Japanese history, each wearing carefully recreated clothing and carrying historically appropriate objects.

The procession includes representations of periods such as:

• The Meiji period
• The Edo period
• The Azuchi-Momoyama period
• The Muromachi period
• The Kamakura period
• The Fujiwara period
• The Heian period

Horses, oxen, traditional carriages, and elaborate costumes add to the spectacle.

When you see these people walking through the streets of Kyoto, it can almost feel as though the past has suddenly returned.

It is very different from reading about history in a book.

You can actually see it moving in front of you.

When I was a Maiko in Gion Kobu, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Jidai Matsuri.

My role was Dojo (童女).

Instead of wearing my usual Maiko kimono, obi, hairstyle, and hair ornaments, I wore the costume associated with the historical role I had been given.

It was a completely different appearance from the way people normally see a Maiko in Kyoto.

Being part of the procession and walking through the streets in historical costume was a very special experience.

But there was one thing I remember particularly well.

Normally, when I walked through Kyoto dressed as a Maiko, people would notice me immediately.

Visitors would often stop, take photographs, or simply look excited to see a Maiko in person.

But on the day of the Jidai Matsuri, I was dressed as a historical figure rather than as a Maiko.

So naturally…

Nobody recognized me as a Maiko.

At first, I had thought that people might still notice.

But no one did.

I remember thinking to myself:

“I’m a Maiko, too…”

It was rather funny

There was an even funnier part.

While I was walking in the procession dressed as a Dojo, there were other Maiko watching the festival along the route.

Unlike me, they were wearing their beautiful, formal Maiko attire.

And, of course, photographers immediately gathered around them.

There were cameras everywhere.

Meanwhile, I was walking right past them in my historical costume—and nobody seemed to realize that I was also a Maiko.

I remember thinking:

“Well… I am a Maiko, you know…”

Looking back, it makes me laugh.

But it also gave me a completely different perspective on the Jidai Matsuri.

For one day, I was no longer simply a Maiko.

I became one of the historical figures within Kyoto’s enormous story.

Participating in the festival also gave me a deeper appreciation for historical clothing.

When we watch the procession, it is easy to focus on how beautiful the costumes look.

But wearing them yourself gives you a completely different perspective.

The hairstyles, fabrics, silhouettes, accessories, and ways of wearing the clothing all change depending on the historical period being represented.

Instead of simply looking at a costume from the outside, I experienced what it was like to become part of that historical world.

It made Kyoto’s history feel much more personal.

The beautiful costumes are certainly one of the festival’s greatest attractions.

But the Jidai Matsuri is much more than that.

Each costume, person, and procession represents a part of Kyoto’s long history.

From the establishment of Heian-kyo in 794 to the changes of the Meiji era, Kyoto has played an important role in the development of Japanese culture.

The Jidai Matsuri allows visitors to experience that history through people rather than simply through buildings or museums.

You can see how people dressed, how they traveled, and how different periods of Japanese history looked.

It is one of the rare occasions when the history of Kyoto seems to come alive right in front of you.

I spent 14 years in Gion Kobu, first as a Maiko and later as a Geiko.

Through those years, I learned that Kyoto’s traditional culture is not simply something preserved exactly as it was hundreds of years ago.

It is something that is passed from one generation to the next while continuing to live in the present.

The world of Maiko and Geiko is the same.

Kimono, dance, music, shamisen, manners, and hospitality all have deep historical roots.

Yet they continue to be practiced by people living today.

The Jidai Matsuri is similar.

It recreates historical periods while being carried forward by people living in modern Kyoto.

I think that is one of the most beautiful aspects of Kyoto’s traditions.

Tradition is not simply about preserving the past. It is about carrying it into the future.

If you are visiting Kyoto for the Jidai Matsuri, I also recommend taking some time to explore Nishijin, one of Kyoto’s historic neighborhoods.

After watching the colorful procession, you can leave the busy central streets behind and experience a quieter side of Kyoto.

Masumasu Masuda is located in the Nishijin area, in the Imadegawa area of Kyoto.

Our restaurant is housed in a renovated Kyoto machiya that is more than 100 years old.

After spending the afternoon watching Kyoto’s history unfold in the streets, you can spend the evening experiencing another part of Kyoto’s living culture through seasonal Japanese cuisine.

We serve a monthly omakase kaiseki course centered around seasonal ingredients from Kyoto and throughout Japan, while also incorporating ingredients connected to our hometown of Nikko, Tochigi.

For us, food is another way of telling the story of Japan.

If you are fortunate enough to visit Kyoto during the Jidai Matsuri, take some time to look beyond the procession itself.

Watch the costumes.

Listen to the music.

Look at the details of the historical clothing.

And think about the many generations of people who have helped preserve these traditions.

Then walk through Kyoto’s neighborhoods and experience how those traditions continue to exist in everyday life.

A festival, a historic street, a Kyoto machiya, and a seasonal Japanese meal can all become part of the same journey.

That is one of the reasons I love Kyoto.

For me, the Jidai Matsuri is not only one of Kyoto’s most fascinating festivals.

It is also a treasured memory from my years as a Maiko.

I still remember walking through Kyoto dressed as a Dojo, wondering why nobody recognized me as a Maiko.

And I still remember seeing photographers gathered around the Maiko watching the festival and thinking:

“I’m a Maiko, too…”

Today, I look back on that experience with a smile.

Having spent many years as a Maiko and Geiko, I feel very fortunate to have experienced Kyoto’s traditional culture from within.

Now, through Masumasu Masuda, I hope to share another part of Kyoto’s culture with our guests—not only through seasonal Japanese cuisine, but also through the stories, traditions, and spirit behind it.

The Jidai Matsuri is one of the best opportunities to experience Kyoto’s long history in a single afternoon.

Thousands of participants, historical costumes, horses, traditional carriages, and centuries of Japanese culture come together to create an unforgettable procession.

And after the festival, why not continue your Kyoto experience in Nishijin?

Walk through the historic streets, discover the quieter side of Kyoto, and enjoy seasonal Japanese cuisine in a traditional machiya.

At Masumasu Masuda, in Kyoto’s Nishijin and Imadegawa area, we welcome you to experience the seasons of Japan through our monthly kaiseki omakase.

The Jidai Matsuri shows you the Kyoto of the past.

A meal in a Kyoto machiya lets you experience the Kyoto that is still alive today.

We hope you will enjoy both.