
Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Ancient Warrior
Aoi Matsuri, at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (“Kyoto Gosho”) (葵祭、京都御所)
A final post to round out Part 1 and Part 2 about this year's Aoi Matsuri festival (葵祭), at the Kyoto Imperial Palace Park last week, which is a parade of period costumes from a millennium or so ago.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Affable Archers
As the parade participants were marshaling before the start, others were going about their business...

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 250 — map & image data — nearby photos
Daycare Outing
I love these wagons of toddlers

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Like He Owns the Place
Walking through roped off barriers and such. His armband says “Press”.

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 450 — map & image data — nearby photos
Rare Smile
this same guy appeared multiple times in the other parts, but without a smile

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
10 More Seconds
the parade started exactly on time, down to the second

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 280 — map & image data — nearby photos
Let's Go, This Way
the ancient equivalent of those guys who guide airplanes into the gate at the airport

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Big Honcho
of some kind

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 360 — map & image data — nearby photos
Still Heavy

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 180 — map & image data — nearby photos
Line of Umbrellas

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 180 — map & image data — nearby photos
Flanked by Archers

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 220 — map & image data — nearby photos
Someone Special

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
More Special

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 180 — map & image data — nearby photos
Demure Princess

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 160 — map & image data — nearby photos
Lady on Horseback

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 500 — map & image data — nearby photos
Focus
I actually hit it this time

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
End
the ox-pulled cart signals the end of the parade

Nikon D4 + Nikkor 300mm f/2 — 1/2000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Followers On
I'm guessing that they're members of an historical society or the like
and helped with costumes
This particular rope was such a pain. When i took this picture the parade had already ended and the rope would soon be dismantled, but during and before the parade, the rope separated the crowd from the parade participants, and if the rope had been equally taut everywhere, all the spectators would have been on the same plane and had the same view, but that one particular section of rope had a tremendous amount of slack, and people who happened to be there took advantage of it by pushing well past where they knew they were allowed to go, destroying the view for everyone else behind them. Some even broke out big sun umbrellas, as if to ensure maximum rudeness. I arrived early to secure a spot that granted the nice shots I wanted, but lost them all to these inconsiderate clods.
Anyway, the preschool kids who stopped by to enjoy the park as everyone else was leaving were cute...