On May 15, Kyoto's Aoi Matsuri took place. The event is one of the city's three main festivals.

A procession at the start of the festival, featuring participants dressed in traditional costume, began at Kyoto Imperial Palace.

The procession stopped at Kyoto's Shimogamo Shrine on its 8-kilometer route to the city's Kamigamo Shrine.

A float carried the "Saio-dai" imperial princess, played by college student Sayo Tomita, was a feature of the procession.

Tomita was clad in a traditional 12-layer Japanese kimono.

Participants in the festival 's parade were dressed in aristocratic - style costumes of the Heian period (794 - 1185).

 


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