Not to be outdone by its capital city rival, Tokyo, Kyoto boasts three main festivals.  And unlike Tokyo, Kyoto’s festivals are annual festivals, so there’s no requirement to wait.  

The first festival on the Japan photo tour is the Aoi Matsuri which has a history as rich as the city itself.  The festival actually predates the founding of Kyoto in 794, and it goes so far back into Japan’s history that the true origins of the festival are unknown.  ‘Aoi’, the name given to the festival is Japanese for Hollyhock, which many of the members in the festival’s procession are wearing.  Hollyhocks bloom in so many different colors, that the period clothes coupled with the freshly plucked hollyhocks will make for some breathtaking photos.  Indeed, the main attraction of the festival is the more than 500 people donning the aristocratic garb of the Heian Period (794-1185).  The members of the parade walk from the Imperial Palace all the way to the Kamo Shrines in the city.  There will be numerous photo ops as the members nobly stride toward their destination with you moving parallel to the procession and record all the crucial moments with your camera.

The Jidai Matsuri is known as the ‘Festival of the Ages’, and as the name suggests, the train of participants wear clothing from nearly every age in Japanese history.  Some members even go so far as to imitate famous samurai lords that are important to Kyoto’s history and heritage.  The festival began in 1895 to celebrate the founding of Kyoto and recognize its importance as a cultural hub to Japan.  As you join the parade, you may find yourself photographing 1,000 years of Japanese culture.  The festival has approximately 2,000 members, so you will be busy capturing the different ages of Japan with your camera.

The final festival on the photography tour is the Gion Festival.  It is considered to be the grandest of festival in all of Japan.  The matsuri is so massive it takes an entire month to complete!  The grand procession of floats, the Yamaboko, is the ultimate in festival experiences.  Every one represents a different chance for you to take another spectacular photo.  The floats can spire up to 25 meters tall and weigh as much as 12 tons.  The wheels on which the floats move are as big in diameter as an averaged size man.  Each float is intricately decorated with different concepts and messages to transmit in mind.  With floats of this scale, you will be occupied from the moment the festival starts until the end.

The festivals occur at different times of the year, so choose one and contact Blain Harasymiw Photography and start your once in a lifetime tour plans now!