Aoi Matsuri (葵祭)
Time: May 15
Prefecture: Kyoto
Location: Kamigamo Shrine

The festival ranks among Kyoto's three most renowned festivals, alongside the Gion Matsuri and Jidai Matsuri. The festival's centerpiece is a grand parade featuring more than 500 participants attired in the aristocratic fashion of the Heian Period (794-1185). They march from the Imperial Palace to the Kamo Shrines. The festival derives its name from "Aoi," which means Hollyhock in Japanese, in reference to the Hollyhock leaves worn by the procession members.