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Kyoto endured a long history of natural disasters and epidemics, and in response, purification rituals known as goryō-e were introduced over a thousand years ago to appease the spirits and seek protection from misfortune. During a severe famine in the early Heian period, sacred spears were gathered from across Japan, along with portable shrines (mikoshi), and offered in ceremonies to honor the deities and calm disease and unrest. One of the earliest and most significant of these rituals developed into the Gion Matsuri, first held during a devastating plague in the Heian period.

Today, the festival’s highlight is the Yamaboko Junko parade. The towering yamaboko floats are built entirely without nails, using traditional Japanese joinery techniques. So massive that they require more than 40 people to pull them through Kyoto’s narrow streets, each float is often described as a “moving museum,” showcasing centuries of craftsmanship, art, and history.

Gion Matsuri Schedule

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• July 1 : Opening
• July 10 : Omukae Chochin (lantern ceremony)
• July 10 and 28 : Mikoshi Arai (mikoshi shrine purification)
• July 14-16 : Yoiyama festival
• July 14-16 : Byobu Matsuri (folding screen festival)
• July 16 : Kencha Matsuri (tea ceremony festival)
• July 17 : Yamaboko Junko parade
• July 24 : Hanagasa Junko (flower umbrella and latter yamaboko parade)
• July 25 : Kyogen Performance (comic theatrical show)
• July 31 : Nagoshi-sai (summer purification ceremony and closing)

Access : Shijo-Karasuma area (the nearest station is Kyoto subway Shijo station.)

Web site : http://www.gionmatsuri.or.jp/foreign/en/