culture & tradition · Japan
Aoi Matsuri
葵祭
The short answer
Aoi Matsuri is the festival of Kyoto's Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines. Its main event is a procession in Heian-period court dress from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Shimogamo Shrine and on to Kamigamo Shrine.
Where
Kyoto
Country
Japan
When
annual, 15 May (procession postponed to 16 May in bad weather)
Last held
2026-05-15
Next edition
2027-05-15
Next dates are
calendar
Good to know
The procession (Roto-no-gi) leaves the Imperial Palace at 10:30. In bad weather it moves to 16 May, decided around 18:00 the day before. A Kyoto Prefecture page confirms the 2026 procession took place on 15 May. Paid viewing seats in 2026 cost 5,000-20,000 yen (Kyoto City Tourism Association); watching from the street is free. Preliminary rites take place at the shrines in early May. The Japanese official page (ja.kyoto.travel/event/major/aoi/) could not be opened by the research tool (HTTP 403).
Kungfucius says: A Heian court procession crossing modern Kyoto. Kungfucius's hat suddenly feels underdressed.
Official website ↗