Thursday, October 18, 2007

Amatsu Okiya's Festival of the Ages

Tonight I went with Marcell to the Amatsu Mitsukai Okiya's Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) formal event. The actual event is held in Kyoto every year, highlighted by a large costumed procession of Japanese history that starts at the Kyoto Imperial Palace and ends at the Heian Jingu Shrine. At Amatsu, the ladies represented four of Japan's most celebrated females poets, such as the legendary Ono no Komachi and Murasaki Shikibu, and recited some of their beautiful work... We were then all treated to a dance, and the floor was then opened up for everyone else to enjoy themselves dancing as well. They were not dressed in their traditional kimono robes tonight, opting for red formal gowns instead. I had a lovely time.

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