Kyoto is one of Japan's most popular destinations, and with its crowds, it’s often worth venturing off the beaten path to discover hidden local gems. If this is your kind of travel, don’t miss the Awata Festival in mid-October, held at the lesser-known Awata Shrine in Kyoto's northern Higashiyama ward.
The Awata Festival has a history dating back 1,000 years and is celebrated each autumn to pray for protection against plagues and diseases. While there are several events tied to the festival, the main highlight is the parade of massive lantern floats known as Awata Dai-Toro during the Yomawari Shinji, or Night Procession.
These awe-inspiring, larger-than-life lanterns mostly take the form of mythological creatures and deities. They are handcrafted using traditional Japanese paper and painted in vibrant colours. If they remind you of the famous Nebuta Festival in Aomori, you’re not mistaken. The locals believe that the Awata Dai-Toro are an early prototype of the Nebuta floats.
Though historical records trace the Awata Dai-Toro back to 1567, the tradition disappeared for nearly 180 years. In 2008, Kyoto University of the Arts revived this long-lost tradition through the Awata Great Lantern Project.
Each year, students from the university work alongside the local community to create new lanterns for the night procession. This year will see the debut of three new floats, and the students will also participate in the procession, proudly carrying the floats they’ve helped make.
The Awata Festival takes place at Awata Shrine on Sunday October 12, with the Yomawari Shinji procession starting around 6pm. You can follow the students' progress in creating this year’s new lanterns on the Awata Great Lantern Project’s Instagram.
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