2019-10-22 Tue

The Jidai Matsuri aka the "Festival of the Ages" is a traditional Japanese festival held annually on October 22 in Kyoto, Japan.

The Festival takes place to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto. Jidai Matsuri is Japanese for "Festival of Ages". It consists of a large parade that travels from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. The participants of the parade are dressed in accurate costumes from almost every period of Japanese history, as well as famous historical figures.

The Jidai Matsuri is held by Heian Shrine, and both the festival and the shrine were established in 1895 to celebrate Kyoto's history and culture. A few years before in 1868, the capital was moved to Tokyo after having been in Kyoto for over a thousand years. Despite its short history, the Jidai Matsuri is one of Kyoto's three most famous festivals, along with the Gion Matsuri in July and the Aoi Matsuri in May.

At the very head of the parade, there are the festival's honorary commissioners, riding in horse-drawn carriages in the style of the mid-1800s. The commissioners include figures like the governor of Kyoto Prefecture, the mayor of Kyoto City and the city council chairman. There is a marching band with drums and flutes and soldiers who would have fought with the imperial forces, as well as some of the era's most notable figures.

The stamp to commemorate this unique occasion of Japan was issued on 1st May 2003 among the series Prefecture Stamps – Kyoto. The stamp comes with the denomination of 50 Japanese yen and has a beautiful illustration of the Royal Carriage that heads the parade. The name of the country along with the denomination value can be seen on the top left corner.

Image Courtesy: https://colnect.com

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