Imperial Procession of Kamo Shrine

The Kamo Festival is depicted in the middle floor level room. It is an annual festival of the Kamo-sha Shrines (Kamigamo Shrine and Shimogamo Shrine), now held on 15 May, but in ancient times it was held on the middle rooster day of April in the lunar calendar. After the relocation of the capital to Heian-kyo, a Saio, princess appointed by the Emperor to serve as a high priestess, was in place. Then the festival became an Imperial festivity in 819 and was highly revered by the Imperial Court. In ancient times, the word ‘festival' meaned the Kamo Festival, which also appears in literary works such as “The Tale of Genji” and “The Pillow Book”. The Kamo Festival has been repeatedly interrupted and revived, and today is popularly known as Aoi Matsuri (hollyhock festival). The name ‘hollyhock festival' has been used since the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868), as the buildings of the Imperial Palace and the Kamo-sha Shrines, the robes of the Imperial Envoys and their attendants and ox carriages were decorated with hollyhock leaves during the festival.