[1] It is a festival enjoyed by people of all ages, participating in its historical reenactment parade dressed in authentic costumes representing various periods, and characters in Japanese feudal history.

[2] The Jidai Matsuri traces its roots to the relocation of the Japanese capital from Kyoto to Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

To add meaning to the festival, it staged a costume procession representing people of each era in Kyoto history.

In 1940, the local government decided that on top of honouring Emperor Kanmu, the Jidai festival was also to be held in honour of Emperor Kōmei (孝明天皇, Kōmei-tennō) (July 22, 1831 – January 30, 1867) for his work in unifying the country, the power of the imperial court and the affirmation of Kyoto as the center of Japan at the decline of the Tokugawa shogunate and the end of the Edo period.

[2] The Jidai Matsuri begins in early morning with the mikoshi (portable shrines) brought out of the Kyoto Imperial Palace so that people may pay their respects.