The Aoi Matsuri (葵祭), formally Kamo Matsuri (賀茂祭) or Hollyhock Festival, is one of Kyoto’s three great festivals, boasting a history that stretches back to the 6th century. It originated during the reign of Emperor Kinmei following a series of disastrous storms and plagues that devastated the harvest. Diviners determined that the Kamo (賀茂) deities were angry, and the Emperor sent an imperial messenger to perform rituals to appease them. The festival’s signature name comes from the Futaba Aoi (二葉葵), or wild ginger leaf, which is believed to possess the power to ward off lightning and is used to decorate every participant, carriage, and ox in the massive procession.

The visual highlight is the Roto-no-gi (路頭の儀), a magnificent parade of over 500 people dressed in authentic Heian Period (794–1185) court attire. You will see the Saio-dai (斎王代), an unmarried woman chosen to represent an imperial princess, carried on a palanquin wearing the Junihitoe (十二単), a complex twelve-layer silk kimono weighing nearly 30 kilograms. She is accompanied by Naishi (female attendants), mounted imperial guards, and an enormous Goshoguruma (御所車) ox-cart adorned with wisteria flowers. This procession is not a mere reenactment but a formal imperial embassy traveling from the Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所) to both Shimogamo and Kamigamo shrines to deliver offerings to the gods.

A central legend of the festival involves the Kamo (賀茂) deities’ demand that the people "decorate their hearts and homes with hollyhocks" to ensure protection. Even today, the leaves are heart-shaped, symbolizing the sincerity of the participants' prayers for peace and a bountiful harvest. At the shrines, the private Chokushi-no-gi (勅使の儀) ritual takes place, where an Imperial Messenger reads a formal address from the Emperor, maintaining a direct spiritual line between the throne and the ancient mountain gods.