The "Jidai Matsuri", an event to celebrate the founding of Heian Shrine and the 1,100th anniversary of the relocation of the capital to Heian, and one of the three major festivals in Kyoto, will be held again this year.
One of the highlights of the festival is the Jidai Gyoretsu (Procession of the Ages) to be held on Sunday, March 22 (postponed until March 23 in case of rain), in which approximately 2,000 people dressed in costumes from eight different periods from the Meiji Restoration to the Enryaku Period when Heian-kyo was built will parade through Kyoto in a procession about 2 km long. The procession departs from the Kyoto Imperial Palace at 12:00 p.m. and heads west along Marutamachi-dori, then along Karasuma-dori to Oike-dori, through Kawaramachi-dori and Sanjo-dori, and onto Jingu-dori to Heian Jingu Shrine. The procession can be viewed anywhere along the route, but there will be paid seats for spectators to view the procession at their leisure at the Kyoto Gyoen, Oike-dori, and Heian Jingu-dori. Don't miss this once-a-year opportunity.