The Periods :
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Procession of Ages
[The Meiji restoration period]
The Royal Army of the Meiji Restoration(1868)
Headed by a drum and the fife corps, this group represents the soldiers of the Royal Army of the Meiji Restoration.
Procession of Patriots of the Meiji Restoration(1860)
These educated warriors were possessed of the rare knowledge and experience of foreign affairs during the waning of the Tokugawa feudal government. During this period, the government was engulfed in domestic and foreign turmoil; the opening of Japan to foreigners being one of the major issues. While the feudal government, in confrontation with these difficulties, became indecisive and weak, these strong men, in particular, and many of their followers proved study and decisive enough to launch Japan into its Meiji Restoration(The Awakening of the Nation to Modernization).
Katsura-Kogoro, Saigo-Kichinosuke, Sakamoto-Ryoma, Nakaoka-Shintaro, Takasugi-Shinsaku
The Seven Court Nobles
Sanjo-Sanetomi, Sanjonishi-Suetomo, Higashikuze-Mitchitomi, Mibu-Motonaga, Shijo-Takauta, Nishikinokoji-Yorinori, Sawa-Nobuyoshi
The seven court nobles together in an effort to persuade the Emperor not to open the country to foreign intercourse, which was supported by the Tokugawa feudal government.
Despite their efforts, the governmental moderates prevailed which necessitated their fleeing the capital (Kyoto). The nobles and their followers escaped to Choshu country, (the present Yamaguchi Prefecture) under the cover of a rainy night. Maki-Izumi and Kusaka-Genzui were the two principal leaders of this adventure.
The others were;
Yoshimura-Torataro, Rai-Mikisaburo, Umeda-Unpin, Hashimoto-Sanai, Yoshida-Shoin, Hirano-Kuniomi, Konoe-Tadahiro, Anekoji-Kintomo, Sanjo-Sanetsumu, Nakayama-Tadayasu
These men were the Emperor's political advisors and are depicted in the procession in their formal attire.
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[The Edo period]
Procession of the Tokugawa Shogun's deputy paying a visit to the Emperor(1850)
 For important imperial functions, such as the New Year's Ceremony, coronations and the like, the Tokugawa Shogun sent his deputy to Kyoto to pay his respect to the Emperor and the imperial Family. The deputies chosen for this service were generally those from the "Shinpan" (Feudal lords related to the Shogun) or (Feudal lords with strong ties to the Shogun). The dignified manner of the footman carrying spears, large sunshades, and traveling boxes depicts a typical scene of those days.
The procession of the Edo period women
Kazu-no-Miya (Princess Kazu)
(1860)
Princess Kazu, sister of Emperor Komei (deity of Heian Shrine) married into Tokugawa family at the age of 16. The women in the procession are clad in the dressing-up style of court ladies of that time.
 Ohtagaki-Rengetsu (1850)
Ohtagaki Rengetsu, well known for her talents, distinguished herself by composing poetry. Here she appears as she was in the days of her maidenhood.
Wife of Kuranosuke Nakamura (1700)
Regarded as a sensible woman and having married into a wealthy, she outstanding fame for her style of dress. Contests for the best dressed were commonly held among the ladies. In the procession, she can be seen wearing her winning Kimono.
Gyokuran (1750)
Gyokuran, a granddaughter of Kaji, who married Ikeno Taiga, a famous painter of the Edo period, was herself a great painter and excellent writer of poetry.
Madame Kaji (1700)
Best known as a writer and publisher of poetry ("Leaves of Kaji"), she was also the proprietress of a teahouse located in Gion.
Yoshino Tayu (1630)
This figure represents Yoshino Tayu, a famous woman in Kyoto. As the most accomplished woman of that period, she was given the highest rating as entertainer.
Izumo-no-Okuni (1600)
A maiden from the Grand Shrine of Izumo and a descendent of the Tokugawa family. While in Kyoto she performed a prayer dance, which was the origin of the Japanese drama, "Kabuki." In the procession she is followed by her disciples.
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[The Azuti-momoyama period]
Procession of Lord Toyotomi-Hideyoshi (1590)
 While he was a "Kanpaku," Hideyoshi paid a visit to the Emperor, arriving in an ox-cart together with a procession of men. The ox-cart was brilliantly decorated for the occasion. The number of Daimvos who rode before the ox-cart was greater than represented today. The costumes are also special because they are permitted to be worn only on ceremonial occasions.
Procession of Load Oda-Nobunaga's entry into Kyoto (1570)
 By the time of the Onin Civil War (1467), Kyoto was almost completely ruined together with the Imperial families. At the Emperor's request in 1569, Oda Nobunaga made a pilgrimage to Kyoto to repair the Imperial Palace and restore peace to the city. Here he is represented in command of an army on his way to Kyoto. During this period, many changes were made in fighting tactics, influenced by the introduction of guns and newly-styled armored vests made with iron plates ("Gusoku").
[The Yoshino period]
Triumphant entry of Lord Kusunoki-Masashige into Kyoto (1330)
A procession of soldiers in armor led by the commander, Load Kusunoki-Masashige.
The procession of the Medieval Period women
Ohara-Me (1580)
Wearing costumes typical of the area, handed down from the 12th Century, woman of Ohara, a district in northern Kyoto, came to the city to sell firewood and charcoal, carrying the bundles on their heads.
Yodo-gimi (1590)
Lady Yodo, the wife of Hideyoshi, wearing a gorgeous robe, represents the extravagance, which brought about the splendid Momoyama culture.
Katsura-Me (1550)
In Katsura, in the western outskirts of Kyoto, it was customary for the woman to wrap a white cloth around their heads, covering their hair. The woman of the village called Katsura-Me, went around the city selling sweetfish and other things.
Madame Fujiwara-Tameie (Abutsu-Ni) (1280)
Abutsu-Ni was the authoress of Izayoi-Nikki (written in 1277). In this procession, she wears the travelling dress, which was mentioned, in her diary. Following her are carriers of "Chinese boxes" in which necessary articles for the journey are kept.
Lady Shizuka (1180)
Shizuka-Gozen, a Kyoto dancer, was the beloved of Minamoto-Yoshitsune.
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[The Kamakura period]
Yabusame Archers (1220)
 Yabusame is a form of mounted archery with the objective of hitting three targets in as rapid succession as possible. Yabusame was used to train archers for warfare. Around 1221 this event was held with much splendor by many warriors of the Kinki district.
[The Fujiwara period]
Fujiwara court nobles (1120)
This group of both civilian and military officials represents the golden age of the prosperous Fujiwara period.
The procession of the Heian period women
Tomoe-Gozen (1180)
As the wife of General Kiso Yoshinaka, Tomoe Gozen, clad in men's armor, fought courageously alongside her husband in battle. She became a nun after his death.
Yokobue (1170)
A servant of the Court, Yokobue fell in love with Takiguchi-no-Tokiyori, a warrior of the Imperial Palace. Because his family rejected her, the warrior sought solace by becoming a priest, Yokobue is here depicted on her way Saga to visit the warrior.
Tokiwa-Gozen (1160)
Tokiwa-Gozen was the mother of Minamoto Yoshitsune. During the civil war, "Heiji-no-Ran" (1159), she was forced to flee Kyoto, but her husband was killed and her mother captured. She is shown here en route back to Kyoto with her children to plead for the release of her mother.
Murasaki-Shikibu and Sei-Shonagon (980,1000)
Murasaki-Shikibu was the authoress of the famous romantic novel "The Tales of Genji" and Sei-Shonagon was the authoress of the essay "Makurano-Soshi" They are seen here attired in the typical costumes of court ladies of that time.
Daughter of Kino-Tsurayuki (900)
Tsurayuki was a famous poet who edited the "Kokin-Waka-Shu" (Old and Selected Poems). His daughter is dressed in a costume of that period.
Ono-no-Komachi (850)
A woman famous for her wit and beauty, whose costumes were created in consultation with the Gods.
Wake-no-Hiromushi (790)
This kind woman took care of many orphans. Her merciful deeds served as the foundation for Japanese orphanages.
Kudara-O-Myoshin
The wife of a powerful government minister,Kudara-O-Myoshin had the firm trust of Emperor Kanmu and was honored with the position of Chief Lady-in-Waiting at the Imperial Court.
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[The Enryaku period]
Procession of Warriors of the Enryaku-Period (800)
These armor-clad soldiers are led by Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro,the commander-in-chief of the military forces during the early days of Heian-Kyo (Kyoto).
Procession of Court Nobles of the Enryaku Period (800)
In contrast to the soldiers, this group represents court nobles on their way to offer greetings to the Emperor.
Zen-Retsu (Procession preceding the Palanquins)
Prior to the arrival of the palanquins, the Zen-Retsu offers various music and dancing performances.
Offerings to the Deity
A procession of those whose task was to make various offerings to the deity of Heian Shrine, followed by the procession of Shinko Retsu.
Shinko-Retsu
The center of this procession is the two palanquins containing the holy spirits of the Emperors Komei and Kammu, the former being the deity to whom the Heian Shrine is dedicated.
This procession is the major feature of the whole festival. The other groups follow this one to show the strength of the citizens' dedication to the deity.
Company of Archers
In the Tamba district of northern Kyoto, there dwelt men who excelled in archery. When the Heian capital was being moved, these men were chosen to protect the Emperor's procession.
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