The Okazaki district, where our store is located in one of the centers of Kyoto’s major tourist attractions. Famous temples, Nanzenji-Temple introduced our previous blog, shrines, to cultural facilities like the public library, the largest collection of books in Kyoto founded in 1876, Kyoto City Zoo, and various art museums.
When you come to Okazaki district, the first thing to strike your eye is the enormous 24-meter-tall torii gate(sacred gate) with its vermilion-painted columns 3 meters in diameter. Its height is equivalent to an 8th-story building. This area is best known as Kyoto’s museum district. You will find Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design, Concert hall, and last but not least, a major shrine called Heian-jingu Shrine.
(Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art at night)
Heian-jingu Shrine
Kyoto was the imperial capital from 794 until 1869, when the emperor’s seat was transferred to Tokyo, When the emperor and his court moved to Tokyo, Kyoto began showing signs of decay. One response to counter this decline was the establishment of the Heian-jingu Shrine dedicated to Emperor Kanmu, the founder of Heian-Kyo, now Kyoto. "Heian" literally means "peace and tranquility. " The name has a nice ring to it.The Heian Shrine was built in 1895 in commemoration of the 1100th anniversary of the foundation of "Heian Capital."
Jidai Matsuri(Festival of Age)
Nishijin Brocade Frame "The Three Major Festivals"
(Imperial Palace in Kyoto)
A host of festivals takes place in Kyoto throughout the year. Jidai Matsuri is one of Kyoto's three biggest festivals and is held on October 22nd. This festival began in celebration of the 1100th anniversary of the establishment of Kyoto as the capital city. Its main event is a costume parade of 2000 people dressed as an array of court figures and heroes, proceeding from the Meiji period back to the Heian. The procession starts from the old Imperial Palace grounds, circles the downtown area and ends at Heian-jingu Shrine.
All the costumes, furniture, and festival accessories are authentic?
They are authentic reproductions!! They are two main purposes to the emperor and to show him Kyoto’s prosperity. The other is to showcase the skills of Kyoto’s craftsmen, cultivated over 1000 years. The procession takes about 3 hours to go by for 2 kilometers.This is the only time of the year that spirits get to leave their enshrined homes, so join them to celebrate Japan's history and traditions.