Festival of the Ages

On Friday we let the kids play hookie to see a parade called the ‘Jidai Matsuri’ which means festival of the ages. It ran along major streets and across an old wooden bridge in the center of downtown Kyoto. This grand parade commemorates the history of Kyoto as the capital city for over 1000 years prior to it being moved to Tokyo in 1868.

We arrived in Kyoto early so Tim took us to an amazing little restaurant near Kyoto University for lunch. It was an artsy place with earthy décor on heavy wooden tables. The wooden chairs had all sorts of great pillows on them and there were painted canvases on the walls. It had a French influence. We had the most delicious salad and their specialty, garlic chicken, was so good. The restaurant was full and Eleanor pointed out that the only females in there were she and I and the waitress. All the others were men and she wanted to know if women were allowed to be eating there. She is very observant and full of questions.

After lunch and a stroll through the campus, our taxi dropped us off near the Sanjo Bridge and we landed a spot curb-side. The parade arrived sooner than we thought so our wait wasn’t too long. It began with the costumes from the Meiji Era (1868-1912) when the emperor was restored to power. This period also saw Japan change from being a feudal society to having a capitalist economy and left the Japanese with a lingering Western influence. The term Meiji means ‘enlightened rule’. In the parade the important men wore golden colored robes with head wear that resembled a black oven mitt with a white wrap to keep it on. The leading Samurai warrior class had wrapped flowing pleated pants with a black wrap-around top showing some needle work and swords. Their hair was pulled back and in the traditional top-not of their status. The retainers wore armor (leather and stitching) and grass outerwear for camouflage we guessed, as well as black under blue wrap-around robes with padded pointed shoulders. Several women walked in golden kimono-like robe with a flowing red sash with really long hair pulled down into pony tails carrying round, woven basket-like things on their front side. The sound of flutes and drums filled the air.
Periodically and conveniently timed to break up the various eras, buses came zooming along the street and turned at the corner reminding us we were still in the modern era. I guess the police couldn’t close off the intersection for a full hour so they managed the traffic in between eras.

Next was the Edo Era (1603-1868) which was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate who brought 250 years of stability to Japan. We saw members of the Samurai class in their fine garments riding decorated horses or being carried in palanquin.  Those who served them walked wearing plain black or neutral colours. The goods were carried in large trunks or carts that were pulled over land by servants or oxen.

The buses went by again and unfortunately it broke the flow too much for Eleanor and Lucas and they began to lose interest.  We captured Lucas for a few extra minutes by teasing him that his favourite character Anpanman just walked by.  He looked for him for a bit, but then he wanted to draw so we gave him some paper and he drew pictures of Anpanman as a Samurai with a great horned helmet.

Heian (which means ‘peace and tranquility’) Era was from 794 to 1185 when Kyoto became the capital (Heian-kyo). At this time the arts, culture and Zen flourished due to major Chinese influence. In the parade, the fabrics of the elite class were so rich and gorgeous with robes and kimonos that were layers of material and hats with emblems of gold. The black shoes resembled Dutch wooden clogs (even though the Dutch did not have influence until the 1600). The soldiers wore a type of helmet that George Lucas likely copied for Darth Vader in Star Wars. The sound of a horn was followed by a bass drum calling all of us to pay attention. Eleanor looked up and finally saw what she had been hoping for, a warrior princess. The lady would have been of royal caste but she was wearing armour and carrying a sword along with bow and arrows. She had on a golden tiara and rode a grey horse.  That sighting made Eleanor happy but again she commented that the parade was full of men and we only got to see a few girls and women in costume. She stood up and entertained us with a little dance and then proclaimed that when she grew up she was going to be a warrior princess.

 After the parade we sat down beside a waterfall of the Kamo river and the children had melonpan (a special bun) and ran around. Then we walked along a famous narrow street called Pontocho full of tastefully designed old-style restaurants. As if we hadn’t seen enough costumes we were treated to the view of a Maiko waiting outside one.  Maiko are young working women who are still training to become Geisha (professionally trained female artist). A Maiko in full costume is said to approximate the Japanese ideal of feminine beauty.  According to the book I am currently reading, ‘Geisha of Gion’, she has the classic look of a Heian princess, as though she might have stepped out of an eleventh-century scroll painting. Her face is a perfect oval, her skin white and flawless and her hair is as black as a raven’s wing. Her brows are half moons and her mouth a delicate rosebud. Her neck is long and sensuous and her figure is gently rounded.

Then another Maiko walked up the street to the same location and Eleanor and I both gasped at her beauty and her exquisite fall Kimono. What luck! Usually the only people to see Maiko are the ones who have paid to have her entertain them at a formal banquet. We were able to see two in a matter of minutes. We all hugged Tim thanking him for his suggestion to wander down this wonderful street on our way to the train station and Eleanor and I agreed that the Maiko sighting made up for the lack of women in the parade.