Aoi Matsuri is my favourite festival! It runs from May 3 to May 15, it's Kyoto's oldest festival, older than Gion Matsuri and it's been going since the 6th century.
Everyone talks about the May 15 procession but honestly the lead-up events are just as good.
May 3: Yabusame at Shimogamo Shrine. This is the one I always tell people about. Five mounted archers in traditional hunting dress galloping a 500m course through an ancient forest, firing arrows at three targets along the route. At full speed. It's incredible to watch. Starts around 13:00. Free standing room, paid front-row seats available but get there early.
May 5: Kamo Kurabeuma at Kamigamo Shrine. A horse race that's been running since the Heian period. Two riders in court costume racing in pairs. Opening ritual from 13:00, races from 14:00. Free and much less crowded than the 3rd.
May 12: Mikage Matsuri at Shimogamo. Quieter and more solemn. A procession to Mikage Shrine at the foot of Mount Hiei to welcome the deity's spirit back. Sacred dance in the forest on the return.
May 15: The big one. Over 500 people in full Heian-era court costume walking 8km from the Imperial Palace through the city to Shimogamo and on to Kamigamo. Horses, oxen, ox-drawn carriages. The Saio-dai, a young woman selected each year for the role, is carried in a palanquin wearing twelve layers of silk.
Fair warning though, the procession itself is slow and quiet. No music, no street food energy. It's a religious procession not a parade. The real action is at the shrines when the procession arrives: horse rituals, ceremonial dance, gagaku court music. It's worth following it to a shrine rather than just watching from the roadside.
Quick schedule for the 15th:
- 10:30 leaves Imperial Palace
- 11:40 arrives Shimogamo (rituals run until about 14:20)
- 15:30 arrives Kamigamo for the final rituals
If it rains, postponed to the 16th. They announce around 6pm the night before.
Best spots to watch:
- Tadasu no Mori at Shimogamo. The forest blocks the city completely so it genuinely feels like you're watching something from a thousand years ago.
- Kamo riverbank between the two shrines (14:20 onwards). Free, relaxed, where locals tend to go.
- Kamigamo Shrine for the end of the festival and a bit more atmosphere.
Etiquette: no flash photography (horses spook), keep it quiet during the procession, don't cross the route while it's moving.
Even if you miss the festival, both shrines are worth a visit any day. Two of the oldest in Japan, UNESCO listed, and almost nobody goes outside of Aoi Matsuri. Tadasu no Mori on a regular morning is one of the most peaceful spots in the city.
Happy to answer any questions.
I was away last year but heres a snap from a couple of years back
