Kyoto’s Top October Event: The Jidai Matsuri – A Historical Parade Amidst Maple Reds

The grand “Historical Procession” (known in Japanese as the Jidai Gyoretsu) of the Jidai Matsuri is organized by Kyoto citizens and features around 2,000 participants who represent historical figures from seven different eras: the Enryaku era when Kyoto became Japan’s capital, the Heian era when aristocratic culture flourished, the Kamakura era when samurai rose to power, the Yoshino era when Emperor Go-Daigo reclaimed the throne, the Azuchi-Momoyama era of warring states, the Edo era under Tokugawa shogunate rule, and the Meiji Restoration period marked by heroic activists. Both costumes and floats are crafted in meticulous detail according to their respective historical contexts — whether it's a samurai on horseback wielding a spear or a gorgeously made-up consort with graceful demeanor — parading through the streets of the ancient capital, transporting visitors as if back to old Kyoto.