enliven Kyoto. All but the rituals at the shrine fronts were discontinued from 1944, due to the Pacific War. At last, the festival procession started to be held again from 1953. The Saiō-Dai festival princess tradition was initiated in 1956. The Saiō (斎王) was an unmarried female member of the Japanese imperial house. The festival is named after the hollyhock (aoi) leaves used as decoration throughout the celebration as well as offerings to the gods. During the Heian Period, these leaves were once believed to protect against natural disasters such as earthquakes and thunder, and were often hung under the roofs of homes for protection. The plants used in the Aoi Matsuri may not be hollyhock, but possibly wild ginger. Although due to the rarity of these plants, other plants with similarly shaped leaves have been used in the festival instead, such as the leaves of the katsura tree. Festival events There are several events that take place during the month, but the most important event is on 15 May. There are two parts to Aoi Matsuri: the procession (rotō-no-gi) and the shrine rites. The procession is led by the Imperial Messenger. Following the imperial messenger are: two oxcarts, four cows, thirty-six horses, and six hundred people. The six hundred people are all wearing traditional dress of Heian nobles (ōmiyabito), while the oxcart (gissha) is adorned with artificial wisteria flowers. The procession starts at 10:30 on May 15 and leaves the Kyoto Imperial Palace in front of the main gate Kenreimon (建礼門) and slowly works its way towards the Shimogamo Shrine and finally the Kamigamo Shrine. When they finally arrive at both shrines, the Saiō-Dai and Imperial Messenger perform their rituals. The Saiō-Dai simply pays her respects to the deities and the Imperial Messenger intones the imperial rescript praising the deities and requesting their continued favor. There are two main figures in the Aoi Matsuri: the Saiō-Dai and the Imperial Messenger. Historically the Saiō-Dai was a woman of the imperial house who was chosen from the sisters and daughters of the emperor to dedicate herself to the Shimogamo shrine. The role of Saiō-Dai was to maintain ritual purity and to represent the emperor at the festival. Nowadays, the role of the Saiō-Dai is a stand-in by an unmarried woman in Kyoto. She has to have the three attributes of wisdom, grace, and social standing. The selection process is strict and