Let's go to Kyoto together! vol.2 （Nagasaka)

The Jidai Matsuri Festival

My wife and I went to Kyoto to watch "The Jidai Matsuri Festival" on Oct 23rd. Although it is opend on 22nd, this year it was done on 23rd due to rain. The origin of this festival is commemoration of the taransfer of the capital which moved to Kyoto from Nara 1100 years ago and it began in 1895. The festival is the show in which people walk in a costumes of the hero and the heroine of each era. They walk to Heian Shrine from Old imperial palace for two hours. First parade is Meiji-era group and then the group is dated back to the older and final group is the Heian emperor nemed Kanmu. As the costumes are gorgeous, we are able to be very happy and study Japanese history too.

I was interested in some heroines who established new era more than some heros such as Nobunaga Oda, Ryoma Sakamto. They are Sei-Shonagon and Murasaki-Shikibu who wrote nobels. Shizuka-Gozen who was a mstress of Yoshitsune Minamoto, Yodogimi, Izumo-no-Okuni, and so on. Ohara-me and Shirakawa-me were Kyoto women. Althoug I watched them first time I was moved very mach.

"Kyoto 3 big Matsuri Festival" are "The Aoi Maturi Festival" which runs for 1400 years on May 15 and "The Gion Matsuri Festival" which runs for 1000 years on July 17 and this one. Kyoto people say that the Jidai Matsuri Festival isn't included Kyoto's because it runs only 100 years compared with others. I think Kyoto is the "Koto, it means an ancient city". I would like to go sightseeing of others next year.

そうだ　京都行こう(2)

1 0月23日に”時代祭り”を見学した。本来は22日であるが、10年ぶりの雨天順延だった。祭りの起源は1895年　平安遷都(７９４年１０月２２日)1100年を記念して、各時代における有名人物の行列を見てもらおうと始まったものである。京都御所から平安神宮までを2時間かけて練り歩く。明治維新の立役者から始まり、時代を遡って最後は桓武天皇（平安）である。衣装は豪華賢覧で見応えがあり、加えて歴史の勉強にもなる。

印象に残ったのは、織田信長・坂本龍馬などの立役者ではなく、時代を造った女性であった。清少納言・紫式部・静御前・淀君・出雲のお国、また京女の大原女・白川女だった。初めて見たがとても感激した。

　京都３大祭りは、１４００年続く葵祭り（５月１５日）、１０００年続く祇園祭り（７月１７日）と、この時代祭りであるが、京都人に言わせれば、”たかだか１００年の歴史しかなく、３大とは呼べない”とのこと。何とも歴史を感じさせる街だ。来年は残りの２つを是非見物したいと思う。