WEBVTT

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Welcome to Japanesquest.

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Today, we are visiting 
Aoi Matsuri Festival!

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Aoi Matsuri Festival is one of the three 
great festivals of Kyoto,

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along with Gion Matsuri Festival,

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and Jidai Matsuri Festival.

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Every year on May 15th,

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more than 500 people dress as aristocrats 
from the Heian Period,

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from the 8th to 12th centuries, 
and march through Kyoto city.

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The origin of Aoi Matsuri Festival

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dates back to the reign of the Emperor 
Kinmei in the 6th century,

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when people suffered due to terrible 
storms and famines.

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Emperor Kinmei sent his messenger to the 
Kamo Shrines to pay homage to the deities

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and performed solemn rites at the shrine.

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After this, the deities were pacified, 
and the storms calmed down.

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Thus, the people were able to reap 
bountiful harvests again.

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Ever since, the custom of the rites has 
been handed down

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from generation to generation up to the 
present day.

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The Aoi Matsuri Festival consists of two rites:

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Roto-no-Gi, the procession,

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and Shato-no-Gi, the rite privately held 
inside the Kamo Shrines.

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The procession is the most popular, 
due to its splendor,

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which includes 511 people,

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36 horses,

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4 oxen, and 2 carriages.

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The procession starts from the Kyoto 
Imperial Palace,

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marches through Kyoto city

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to Shimogamo Shrine in the morning,

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then has its finale at Kamigamo Shrine in 
the afternoon.

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Since the 6th century, thousands of people
have swarmed along its route

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and have enjoyed watching the elegant 
Roto-no-Gi procession.

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The most important part of the Roto-no-Gi 
procession is Saiodai.

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It is a representative of Saio,

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who was a young female member of the 
imperial family

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and who served as high priestess of the 
Kamo Shrines back in the Heian Period.

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Nowadays, an unmarried woman from Kyoto 
is selected each year to serve as Saiodai

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and is taken through the procession on a 
palanquin.

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A few tips from Japanesquest.

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If you want to see the procession in 
comfort, reserved seats

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at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Shimogamo
Shrine can be purchased in advance.

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It becomes less and less crowded as the 
procession goes

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from Kyoto Palace to Shigamo Shrine and 
then Kamigamo Shrine.

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We at Japanesquest personally recommend 
watching the procession at the

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Kamigamo Shrine if you need to choose one.

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You can also purchase a ticket sold on the
day of the festival at the Kamigamo Shrine

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if you want to see it up close.

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That's today's episode of Japanequest.

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For more details, please check out our website.

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The link is in the description below.

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And don't forget to subscribe!

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Thank you for watching!