The purpose of this trip was to view "Jidaisai", the traditional Costume Festival. I had planned this trip half a year ago. I'd also like to see my longtime friend at that time. This festival has been held on Oct. 22nd every year, but the day of this year was assigned to the 126th Ten'noh's enthronement ceremony and this festival was to be held on Saturday this weekend. If the weather was not ideal for the festival, the festival was supposed to be postponed to the next day, Sunday, so I understood that I would view the parade of lots of performers wrapped up with traditional clothes even if Saturday was rainy.
The parade of Jidaisai started at Kyoto Imperial Palace and continued more than two hours. We set two folding chairs on the roadside and got on standby. The 50th Ten'noh, Kanmu (781- 806 on the throne) started to live in Kyoto in 794 and Kyoto became the principal place in Japan at that time. 1200 years have already passed since then, and the banner which 8th century's ladies had was the slogan to get together to preserve ancient traditions and to develop at the same time toward the 1300th years.
Tastelessly, the top runner of the parade was a police car, but the next were mounted policemen specially outfitted with 8th century noble people's costume who were usually positioned in the Kyoto Imperial Palace. I didn't understand the role of the following man in the first picture, but I got it after a while. Several staff members were collecting the feces of horses and cows. Thank you for cleaning!
Starting with the Meiji Period (1868 to 1911), the periods were getting old. Ordinary people, adults and kids, nobles, samurai-warriors, famous historical figures, and so on. I enjoyed it very much.
http://www.heianjingu.or.jp/festival/jidaisai.html
京都へ来た理由は時代祭を見るため。半年前から予定していた。長く会っていなかった友人にも会いたかったし。毎年１０月２２日に開催されてきたが、今年は新天皇の即位の礼のため、２６日土曜日に変更された。万一雨の場合翌日に延期なので、雨でも翌日に見ることができる。時代祭は御所を出発し２時間以上のパレード。京都に天皇が住むようになったのは７９４年。その後、１２００年が過ぎ、パレードの先頭には遷都１３００年に向けて頑張っていこうという横断幕。パレードの先頭は、パトカーだった。風情の無いことだと思っていたら次に来たのは、御所を護る警察騎馬隊。後ろを歩く人の役割が不明だったが、ずっと後に続くパレードを見ていてわかった。馬の糞を回収する警察官の人だった。ご苦労様。明治時代の衣装に始まり、だんだんと古くなる。庶民、貴族、その時代の衣装に身を包んだ人たち、歴史上の有名人などの列が２時間も続いた。楽しめた。
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