First held in 1895 to commemorate the 1,100th anniversary of the foundation of Kyoto as the ancient capital of Japan, the event takes place each October and is one of the city's three main festivals. The event was cancelled during the last two years due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, with only Shinto rituals performed inside the Heian Jinju shrine. The procession involves 2,000 or so Kyoto residents attired in costumes representing each era in Japanese history, ranging from the Enryaku Era (782-806) to the 1868 Meiji Restoration, parading from the Kyoto Imperial Palace to Heian Jingu. "It would be hugely detrimental to the operation of the festival if it was cancelled for a third straight year," said Keiji Yamada, the president of Heian Kosha, a civic group which organizes the event. "We intend to hold the parade in its usual form while taking all necessary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus." When the group announced during a July 5 news conference the event would go ahead, Yamada noted that around 4,000 people, including parade participants, were needed to hold the festival.