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There are not specific matsuri days for all of Japan; dates vary from area to area, and even within a specific area, but festival days do tend to cluster around traditional holidays such as Setsubun or Obon.
Favorite elements of the most popular matsuri, such as the Nada Kenka Matsuri of Himeji or the Neputa Matsuri of Hirosaki, are often broadcast on television for the entire nation to enjoy.
Some examples of famous matsuri are the Jidai, Aoi and Gion Matsuri held in Kyoto; the Isemachi Matsuri of Nakanojo, Gunma; and the Kanda, Sanno and Sanja Matsuri of Tokyo.
As one of the three big festivals in Kyoto, along with the AoiMatsuri and the Gion Matsuri, it is popular among the residents of the city as well as among many people in Japan, and about 150,000 people line the route to view the procession.
In commemoration of the 1100th anniversary of the transfer to the Heian-kyo capital, Heian Shrine was constructed and Jidai Matsuri was instituted as an event on the shrine's ritual calendar.
AoiMatsuri is thought to be one of the oldest festivals in the world.
AoiMatsuri has two parts: processions and sacred rites.
Most of the matsuri is a slow and solemn parade of two oxcarts, four cows, thirty-six horses, and six hundred people dressed in the traditional, colorful costumes of the imperial court.
The period from July 15 th to 17 th is the most popular days and many people come to see the festival especially Yamaboko Junko (a parade of floats) but the festival actually goes on for a month starting from July 1 st.
The Hollyhock Festival was also called the Northern Festival, in contrast to the Southern Festival of Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine.
"Aoi" in AoiMatsuri refers to the hollyhock plant.
On the day of the festival procession, imperial shrines, the dress of the people taking part in the procession, the imperial carriage, the carts and the horses and oxen drawing them, are all decorated with leaves and branches of the hollyhock plant.
Ancient rituals which transmit faith in the divine mountan, Kamo Sai also known as AoiMatsuri which started during the reign of Emperor Kinmei in 544, and the shrine buildings retaining the style of the early Heian Period, all convey the history of the province of Yamashiro (southern Kyoto Prefecture).
Since aoi (hollyhocks) are offered at the festival, and all the shrine buildings and attendants are decorated with hollyhocks, the event is also known as the AoiMatsuri.
The shrine is the main staging area for the AoiFestival held every May, one of the three biggest festivals in Kyoto, and the original Matsuri.
Two works, measuring no less than 8 x 2.5 meters, were even stolen during an exposition in the Netherlands; proof of the popularity of his photographs.
Five awards have been awarded for his photographic work, mainly for his photographs of Japanese matsuri.
They included the AoiMatsuri, Kyoto Jidai Matsuri, Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka, Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, and O-to Matsuri in Shingu, Wakayama.
Matsuri Stock Image Photos. 25 Matsuri images and photography available to buy from over 50 stock photo companies.(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-13)
Yearly matsuri (festival) of Kannon Temple in Asakusa...
Traditional court ladies at AoiMatsuriFestival in Kyoto...
Kyoto, rear view, women participating in Gion Matsuri...
Out present way of life has been shaped by centuries of historical and mental background, as well as natural conditions, under which we have lived.
Others are collection of clippings previously published in newspapers and magazines which I thought would be of interest to newcomers to the foundation.
Travel to Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto, Japan(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-13)
The popular AoiMatsurifestival is held at this antique shrine.
Shimogamo Shrine, in the dense Tadasuno-Mori Forest, is well-known for its hollyhock AoiMatsuri (Festival) and is located near the confluence of the Kamo and Takano Rivers.
Along with its sister Kamigamo Shrine, it was founded long before Kyoto.
