KYOTO -- The Aoi Matsuri festival's heroine "Saio-Dai" underwent a purification ritual on May 4 at Kamigamo Jinja shrine in Kyoto's Kita Ward as the fine weather attracted many families and tourists to the sightseeing spot amid Japan's Golden Week holiday period.

This year, Aya Yamauchi, a second-year graduate student at Tokyo University of the Arts, and a native of Kyoto's Sakyo Ward, serves as the 67th Saio-Dai.

The 25-year-old entered the shrine grounds on May 4 clad in a "junihitoe" 12-layered ceremonial kimono. She was accompanied by a procession of about 50 women, including "warawame" (young girls) and "uneme" (court ladies), all dressed in vibrant traditional attire.

Amid the sounds of ancient court music, she purified herself by dipping her fingertips into the Mitarashi River, then blew onto a wooden human-shaped doll and set it afloat in the clear stream to cleanse away any impurities.

Yamauchi said, "The 'junihitoe' dress carried a lot of weight. I feel solemn."

The Aoi Matsuri, one of Kyoto's three major festivals, is an annual celebration jointly held by Kamigamo Jinja shrine and Shimogamo Shrine, featuring a procession of participants dressed in Heian-period (794-1185) court attire, starting from the Kyoto Imperial Palace and visiting both shrines. The festival will be held May 15.

(Japanese original by Yuki Ohigashi, Kyoto Bureau)