Iwashimizu Hachiman-gu lies in the southwest of Kyoto Prefecture. On September 15, this shrine holds the Iwashimizu-sai. This some 1,000-year-old festival is held in prayer for the peace of all living things. In the darkness at 2 a.m., the mystical ritual begins with three mikoshi portable shrines, on which the deities ride, departing down the mountain. The scene is a living manifestation of ancient picture scrolls. Discover the Kyotoites' respect for life through this festival's rituals.

The Inoue School of Dance evolved as a distinct form of traditional Japanese dance in Kyoto. Danced to a shamisen and song backing, it developed exclusively for the geiko and maiko of Gion Kobu, Kyoto's largest entertainment district. Traditional Kyoto dance, or Kyo-mai, exalts life and can represent urbane people by acting out the universal emotion of females. Discover the consummate art of Kyo-mai with its history of more than 200 years through the current 5th head of the Inoue School.

Kyoto today is a bustling tourist destination, but there was a time when it had lost its sparkle. The emperor moved to Tokyo 120 years ago to forge a modern state, and many followed, depleting the population. This crisis shook the city's foundation, but it reinvented itself through modern public works and other initiatives. The Jidai Matsuri pays homage to the past with 2,000 people parading in period costumes. Discover the citizens' resilience as they redefined their city, creating a new Kyoto.