Celebrating the history of the 47 Rōnin, a tale said to embody the samurai code of honor, the Gishi Matsuri is held on December 14th each year at the Bishamon-dō temple in Yamashina.

Kōdai-ji was founded in 1606 in honor of the Sengoku period warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi by his legal wife Nene, who took the tonsure and become a Buddhist nun after her husband’s death.

One of Kyoto's top three festivals, the Jidai Matsuri, is known for including famous figures from Japanese history... but just what makes them so famous?