Every year on March 3, Japanese families celebrate Hina Matsuri, displaying ornate dolls inhabiting the elegant world of the Heian-period imperial court. Dressed in colorful, intricately crafted silk robes, the emperor, empress, court ladies, musicians, and attendants preserve a vision of courtly life that flourished more than a thousand years ago.
On May 15, that world comes to life on the streets of Kyoto during Aoi Matsuri.
According to tradition, Aoi Matsuri traces its origins to the reign of Emperor Kinmei in the sixth century, more than two centuries before Kyoto became the capital of Japan. Following a series of storms and crop failures, the emperor is said to have ordered divination to determine their cause. The disasters were attributed to the displeasure of the Kamo deities, prompting the emperor to dispatch an imperial messenger to perform rites seeking their favor and praying for protection and a bountiful harvest.
Originally known as Kamo Matsuri, the festival came to be called Aoi Matsuri after its revival in 1694, when futaba aoi leaves were used to decorate ceremonial objects, clothing, ox-drawn carriages, and horses.
More than 500 Kyoto residents, ranging from young children to the elderly, dress in period costumes and reenact traditions passed down through generations, preserving a unique part of Japan’s cultural heritage in an elegant procession of nobles, attendants, ox-drawn carts, and horses adorned with futaba aoi, the wild ginger whose leaves are associated with the festival’s present-day name.
The leaves of futaba-aoi, a wild ginger native to Japan, have traditionally been associated with protection from misfortune. Their use in the festival reflects its origins in prayers for relief from calamities and for the well-being of the people.
The procession travels from the Imperial Palace to the Kamo Shrines. Long before Kyoto became Japan’s capital in 794, the Kamo Shrines occupied an important place in the spiritual life of the region. Today they are known as Shimogamo Shrine and Kamigamo Shrine.
Shimogamo Shrine (left) and Kamigamo Shrine, the two ancient Kamo shrines that welcome the Aoi Matsuri procession and preserve Kyoto’s spiritual heritage.
Shimogamo Shrine, formally known as Kamo-mioya Shrine, stands within Tadasu no Mori, a woodland whose ancient trees provide a striking contrast to the surrounding city. It enshrines Kamo Taketsunumi no Mikoto and his daughter, Tamayorihime no Mikoto. Farther north, Kamigamo Shrine, or Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine, is dedicated to Kamo Wakeikazuchi no Kami, a deity associated with thunder. Together, the two shrines have long been revered as guardians of Kyoto and its people.
When the Aoi Matsuri procession reaches each shrine, the festive mood gives way to solemn religious observances. An imperial messenger presents offerings on behalf of the emperor and delivers a formal message to the enshrined deity. Prayers are offered, accompanied by traditional music and dance. These ceremonies reflect the enduring relationship between the imperial court and the Kamo deities.
The days leading up to the festival include their own distinctive ceremonies. On May 3, Shimogamo Shrine hosts yabusame, in which archers dressed in traditional hunting attire shoot arrows at targets from galloping horses. Two days later, Kamigamo Shrine holds Kamo Kurabeuma, a traditional horse-racing ritual in which riders race along a track to honor the shrine’s deity and pray for peace and abundant harvests.
The most prominent figure associated with Aoi Matsuri during the Heian period was the Saiō, an unmarried imperial princess appointed to serve the Kamo deities. Following a period of ritual purification, she took part in ceremonies at the shrines, representing the imperial court and reinforcing the close relationship between the Kamo deities and the rulers of Japan. Today, the tradition is symbolically represented by the Saiō-dai, a woman selected from Kyoto who appears in an elaborate twelve-layered jūnihitoe and is among the most anticipated figures in the procession.
Serving as Saiō-dai is a coveted honor, and the women selected for the role often combine elegance with impressive professional and academic accomplishments.
The 2023 Saiō-dai, Haruna Matsui, was a graduate of the University of London, earning academic distinction in finance before completing graduate studies at Keio University. At the time of her selection, she worked for a foreign investment firm supporting venture businesses while also being skilled in traditional Japanese dance. In this way, she embodies the idea that a young girl’s dream of becoming a princess may blossom into a life of dreams and accomplishments far beyond her childhood imagination.
Not only did the Heian period cultivate a world of courtly refinement and elegance, but it also gave rise to one of the great flowering periods of Japanese literature, producing enduring classics such as The Tale of Genji and The Pillow Book. The popularity of Aoi Matsuri during this period is reflected in The Tale of Genji. In the novel’s famous “Carriage Contest” episode, Aoi’s attendants force the carriage of Genji’s lover, Lady Rokujo, aside in a struggle for viewing space along the festival route. The humiliation deepens Rokujo’s jealousy, and her living spirit later possesses Aoi, ultimately leading to her death. Stories of jealous spirits, courtly rivalries, and the supernatural were recurring themes in Heian literature.
Yet the golden age of the Heian period would not last. As political power gradually passed from the imperial court and aristocracy to the rising samurai class, the refined culture that had flourished in Kyoto for centuries began to fade.
By the end of the twelfth century, civil wars and political upheaval had transformed Japan, ushering in a new age of austerity dominated by samurai warriors, a stark contrast to the refined culture of the Heian court.
Perhaps this is why Aoi Matsuri remains so dear to the people of Kyoto. Through wars, epidemics, famines, earthquakes, and other hardships, the festival has endured as a reminder of a more elegant world, inspiring people to persevere through adversity so that their children and grandchildren may one day watch Hina dolls come to life before their very eyes.
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