May 2019 | discoverkyoto.com/event-calendar/may/aoi-matsuri-kamo-matsuri/

One of the main festive processions in Kyoto, held on the 15th of May. It originates from the 6th century, eventually becoming an imperial event and it is a festival of the two Kamo shrines North of the city: Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines. The matsuri consists of two parts, the procession (pictured here) and the shrine rites (not pictured here). The procession is led by the Imperial Messenger on horseback, 6 hundred people following him in traditional costumes of Heian nobles. The other main figure of the festival is the Saiō-Dai, who used to be a woman chosen from the sisters and daughters of the Emperor to dedicate herself to the Shimogamo shrine. Originally her role was to maintain ritual purity and represent the Emperor at the festival. Nowadays she is chosen from unmarried women in Kyoto.

Fujifilm X-T10, Fujifilm XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6, FujifilmXC 50-230mm f4.5-6.7