10月22日。朝から小雨の降る、少し肌寒い一日でしたが、午後から京都御苑へ向かい、時代祭を見に行ってきました。時代祭は、毎年この日に行われる平安神宮の祭礼で、平安遷都1100年を記念して1895年に始まったものです。ちなみに、10月22日は平安遷都の日でもあります。写真は、時代祭・室町洛中風俗列です。

午後12時ごろ、平安神宮の御祭神・桓武天皇と孝明天皇の御霊を移した鳳輦（ほうれん）と、平安時代から明治時代までの装束に身を包んだ約2000人の行列が京都御所を出発し、平安神宮を目指して練り歩きます。桓武天皇は都を平安京に定めた天皇、孝明天皇は平安京最後の天皇。そのお二方が平安神宮に祀られているんですね。

私が京都御苑に着いたのは正午ごろ。すでに多くの観光客で賑わっていました。雨模様の天気だったので人出は少ないかと思いましたが、例年通りの混雑ぶり。観光客の皆さんも準備がよく、雨合羽を着て観覧している方が多かった印象です。特に海外からの方は傘ではなく雨合羽姿が多かったですね。

私は傘をさして見ていましたが、時折吹く秋風が冷たく、今日はこの秋一番の冷え込みだったように思います。そんな中、約1時間半ほど京都御苑で行列を見物し、写真を撮りながら過ごしました。例年なら行列の最後まで見届けるのですが、さすがに今日は風邪をひきそうだったので途中で退散。同日に行われる鞍馬の火祭も、今年は雨のため見送りました。時代祭が終わると、京都はいよいよ本格的な秋を迎えますね。


Jidai Matsuri 2025 – Grace and Splendor of the Heian Era, Unbowed by the Rain

October 22 — It was a chilly day with light rain falling since morning, but in the afternoon, I headed to Kyoto Gyoen National Garden to watch the Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages).
The festival is a grand annual event held by Heian Shrine, first celebrated in 1895 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Heian-kyō, the ancient capital of Japan. Incidentally, October 22 is also the very day the capital was moved to Heian-kyō.
The photo above shows the Muromachi-era Kyoto Procession from this year’s parade.

Around noon, the procession set out from Kyoto Imperial Palace, carrying the sacred portable shrines (hōren) of Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Kōmei, the deities enshrined at Heian Shrine.
About 2,000 participants dressed in historical costumes—from the Heian through Meiji periods—formed the magnificent parade that slowly made its way toward the shrine. Emperor Kanmu was the ruler who established the capital in Heian-kyō, while Emperor Kōmei was the last to reign there, making their presence in the festival deeply symbolic.

I arrived at the Kyoto Gyoen around noon, where the grounds were already bustling with spectators.
Despite the rain, the crowd was as large as ever—perhaps proof of how beloved this festival is. Many visitors came well-prepared with rain ponchos, and I noticed that foreign visitors in particular preferred ponchos over umbrellas.

I watched the procession under my umbrella, but the occasional autumn breeze felt cold against my hands—it was probably the chilliest day of the season so far. Even so, I spent about an hour and a half enjoying the parade and taking photos in the rain.
Normally, I stay until the very end, but today I left early before catching a cold. I also decided to skip the Kurama Fire Festival, which takes place on the same evening, due to the weather.

With the Jidai Matsuri now over, it feels like Kyoto has truly entered the heart of autumn.