Saki-Matsuri / Gion Festival Digital Map
This project is a collaboration between the Kyoto Newspaper, a local newspaper, and Stroly, a digital map platform from Kyoto.This festival, which has been held in Kyoto for more than 1,000 years, is the result of a great variety of cultures and histories that have been interwoven into the festival to this day. The Gion Festival is famous for the Yamahoko and Yamahoko Junko floats, which are deployed in the city center for only a few days, but in fact, related events are held throughout the city of Kyoto during the month of July every year. The Gion Festival is such a unique festival, and one of its charms is that there are 100 different ways to enjoy it for every 100 people. We hope that this Gion Festival Digital Map will enrich your stay and experience in Kyoto.
Posted by:
Kyoto Shimbun and Stroly Digital Map Project
update date: 2024.05.16
このマップ（地図）を見るNumber of spots : 34spots
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Please fill out the survey.
Stroly
About this Project About Stroly Inc. Thank you for enjoying the Gion Festival Map. Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey and let us know what you think. (Responses will be anonymous and will be tabulated) For local users only For users in remote areas About this Project In July 2023, Kyoto Shimbun and Stroly Inc. collaborated to release "Gion Festival Digital Map 2023." following last year. We have prepared many tricks to enjoy the Gion Festival not only on site but also at home. Once again this year, we are pleased to present an illustrated map by Kyoto-based illustrator Moriyuka. The map features unique characters enjoying the Gion Festival, drawn with a light touch reminiscent of caricatures of birds and animals. In addition to the origin and explanation of each float, you can also learn about the rituals and events related to the Gion Festival. We hope you will enjoy the Gion Festival to the fullest by visiting as many floats as possible! ↓Click here for Ato-Matsuri Map↓ About Stroly Inc. Stroly Inc. operates an online platform for illustrated maps. People in the area where the Kyoto Gion Festival is held can enjoy this content while checking their current location using the GPS on their smartphones or tablets. Those who are unable to visit the site in person can select a character when accessing the map to participate and talk with multiple users at the same time. Official website
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About the Kyoto Shimbun
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Company Profile The Kyoto Shimbun was founded in 1879 as the Kyoto Shoji Hayabure. As the voice of the local community, deeply rooted in local traditions,the Kyoto Shimbun has devoted itself, for upwards of a century, to the development of the Kyoto and Shiga communities. Company policy, to uphold "justice, freedom and truth" has sustained the Kyoto Shimbun throughout many years of reporting and lively discussion. According to a survey carried out in 2017, the morning edition of the newspaper runs to 457,905 copies and the evening edition to 202,771. While the Kyoto Shimbun focuses closely on what is happening in the local community, it aims also to offer a more global point of view. In addition to a section on news of particular relevance to Kyoto citizens, the newspaper also includes no fewer than nine supplementary local news sections so that it can offer readers accurate and detailed coverage of the most up-to-date news on matters of local interest. For international news and news about the rest of Japan apart from Kyoto and Shiga, the Kyoto Shimbun's readers depend upon the newspaper's sharp and to-the-point reports which make use of the first rate reporting facilities and communication network of the Kyodo News Service. Kyoto, which became Japan's capital in 794, a position which she did not relinquish for over 1000 years, is an area rich in Japan's splendid heritage of culture and tradition. In addition, the location of famous universities and high technology industries in the region is symbolic of Kyoto's place in giving birth to new fields of academic endeavor and frontier technology. The Kyoto Shimbun, which has its head office in this treasure store of traditional culture, organizes a wide range of cultural events including art exhibitions, lectures and seminars. The Kyoto Shimbun also helps to encourage local sport by organizing school baseball competitions and Inter-prefectural Women's Ekiden, which have led to a nationwide boom in such events. Click here for the English versionthe Kyoto Shimbun website. (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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The silver screen spread the idea of townspeople's festivals
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Reflected society and the strength of powerful families Medieval Gion festival floats Is the Gion Festival's Yamahoko Junko procession a festival of the townspeople? The image of the festival during the Muromachi period, close to when the festival began, was different from the current image that is said to have been established after the war. It was the biggest festival in Japan and also reflected the reality of society and power in medieval times. The impact of the film "Gion matsuri" Is the Yamahoko Junko procession of the Gion Festival a festival of the townspeople? People often have the impression that, since the old days, townspeople were actively involved in the festival and ran it while sometimes standing up to power. But, is this true? Masayoshi Kawauchi, a Nara University processor studying the Medieval Gion Festival, which is close to the festival's roots, said that such an image was established after the war, through media such as movies. When he searched documents to find a more original form of the festival from the Muromachi period, he found that it had nearly twice as many floats as the current number, making it the largest ever. However, it also significantly reflected the reality of society and power in medieval times. In 1968, the film "Gion matsuri," produced by and starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, was released. The cast included top stars, such as Toshiro Mifune, Ken Takakura, Hibari Misora, Kiyoshi Atsumi, and Shima Iwashita. The Yamahoko Junko procession, the highlight of the film, was filmed on a large scale on Shinmarutamachi Street, before it was opened to the public, recreating the atmosphere of medieval times. "The so-called image of the festival being of the townspeople took root after the war and became widespread through this hit film," said Kawauchi. The idea of the townspeople running the festival began with a picture-story show The film was adapted from an original story. It was a story told using pictures, called "Gion matsuri," which was first presented at the University of Tokyo in 1952. Written by the late Tatsusaburo Hayashiya, a historian famous for his festival-of-the-townspeople theory, the story is set in Shijo-cho, Kyoto, in 1553, during the Warring States period. The story is about townspeople, including a fictional main character called "Hikojiro," performing the Yamahoko Junko procession while standing up against the Muromachi Shogunate, which called for a halt to the festival. The plot grew out of his desire to make history useful for people based on researchers' understanding at that time that the floats were protected by townspeople "throughout wars" and "through struggles against power." It was turned into a novel and then a film. In the film adaptation, the conflict between samurai and townspeople and between farming villages and cities became more emphasized. It is unknown how much the Marxist view of history, which was the trend of postwar historical studies, was intentionally reflected in the film, but the idea of the festival belonging to townspeople who stood up to power spread among the public through the film. "The image established through this film originated from a picture-story show based on Hayashiya's idea," said Kawauchi. "Until I started studying it, I had an impression similar to this idea, too. But studying documents about Yasaka Shrine, and other things, gave me a completely different thought." Simplified restoration of the festival, as seen by a court noble There are currently 34 floats. This number is based on when the festival was revived in 1500 after the Onin-Bunmei Wars (1467-1477). A court noble who witnessed the restoration said, "The festival was revived in the most informal form," according to the Gohokoinki diary written by Masaie Konoe. "Documents say that there were 60 floats before the wars. The festival held in the Muromachi period may have been the most magnificent, diversified, and unique," said Kawauchi. Masanori Hiyama (Writer) Journalist, News Division, Kyoto Shimbun. Joined The Kyoto Shimbun in 2000. Previously in charge of covering prefectural and municipal administration in Kyoto for the News Division, he currently writes articles about excavations, cultural assets, and historical matters in Kyoto City. He also writes "Tenka Nozomu Kamae," a column on castles in Kyoto and the Omi region of Shiga Prefecture. *This article was published on July 1, 2022. *This article is partially published with permission from the Kyoto Shimbun. (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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A quiet Gion Festival #3
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The deities still cross over A thousand years of prayer is passed on At this year's Gion Festival, there was no Mikoshi Togyo procession of portable shrines. Still, the deities, "riding (mythological) white horses," crossed the Kamo River and entered the otabisho visiting place. Following this route, we came upon the quiet prayer of festival supporters. The festival-eve ceremony at Yasaka Shrine With all the lights of the shrine grounds turned off, and the mystical sound of a Japanese zither echoing through the night sky, the chief priests moved the deities into the three mikoshi portable shrines placed in the mikoshi-ko, a portable-shrine storage house. After the ceremony, the lights were turned back on, and priests moved to the front of the mikoshi to pray. (On July 15, 2020) The Gion Festival consists of two major parts: the Yamahoko and the Mikoshi Togyo processions. Each of these includes related events and rituals. Mikoshi Togyo is an important ritual that moves the holy spirits of Yasaka Shrine into the mikoshi portable shrines and carries them to the otabisho visiting place. However, it was canceled this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Even so, the deities need to go to the otabisho for the duration of the festival. How can they be taken there without using mikoshi? The Shinto priests focused on an ancient document from the late 15th century. Passing the edict plate An old-style Gion Festival held at the main shrine An edict plate in a brocade bag was handed from deputy chief priest Hiroshi Kuno to Miyamoto group leader Satoru Hara. The plate has an imperial order issued by Emperor Enyu in the Heian Period written on it in sumi ink. (At the main shrine of Yasaka Shrine on July 17, 2020) Shigekatsu Minoura Joined The Kyoto Shimbun in 1996. Covering religion, he has for many years written stories mainly about shrines, temples, and traditional events in Kyoto and Shiga. He is currently on the editorial board. He was a member of Shukyo Kisha Kai, a religion press club, which is said to exist only in Rome and Kyoto. *This article was published on July 24, 2020. *This article is partially published with permission from the Kyoto Shimbun. (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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A quiet Gion Festival #2
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Even without a procession of floats, there were men in ceremonial garb Men in ceremonial kamishimo outfits at Shijo Street in central Kyoto. Even without the spectacular Yamahoko Junko procession this year, people in neighborhoods that are home to yama floats were seen maintaining their traditions. Kippu-iri ceremony and Kiyoharai purification of the Ayagasa-hoko float. These were carried out at the neighborhood's Ohara Shrine. (On July 1, 2020) Photo by Keisuke Mizusawa The usual Japanese word for float, "dashi," is not used for the floats in the Gion Festival. They are called "yama" and "hoko." ”Hoko" refers to a two-story float with four wheels that weighs about 10 tons. In the center of each hoko float is a wood pole that is more than 20 meters high and is called a "shingi." "Yama" refers to floats that used to be carried. This type of float is also a stage where a scene of a story or legend is depicted using elaborate figures, and a real pine-tree pole called "shinmatsu" is often mounted on top. A community house in Tsukihoko-cho. A figure of worship was on display in the second-floor window during the daytime until July 16. Yama and hoko floats were introduced in the 14th century, after the introduction of mikoshi portable shrines, as Furyu Hayashimono, or elaborate creations or costumes on people that dance or move to the beat of accompanying musicians. During the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the floats were paraded through an area known as Shimogyo or Shimowatari. Overcoming damage caused by war and great fires, the floats became larger and more extravagant, and by the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868) had come to be sanctified. When July arrives, the parishioners association of Yasaka Shrine and the neighborhoods that are home to the floats hold a ceremony to mark the commencement of a Shinto ritual. It is called Kippu-iri. Purification of the Kanko-hoko float. Board members of the preservation society clapped their hands in prayer. (On July 1, 2020) The Kankoboko Hozonkai preservation society performed the Kippu-iri ceremony in the neighborhood's community house on the morning of July 1. In usual years, a total of about 70 people gather for the ceremony, including preservation society board members, float assembly members and carriers called daikukata, tetsudaikata, and kurumakata, people from Kankoboko-cho, and future bearers of these roles. This year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the gathering was split into three different sessions. The tokonoma alcove was decorated the same as in normal years, with a small shrine, a figure of a sacred child, and a hanging scroll that says, "Gion Gozu Tenno," which is a deity related to pestilence. There was also a line of offerings of sake. "Please pray quietly this year," said the Shinto priest. Unchanged spirit of the float communities "The 34 yama floats have developed as float communities have competed with each other," preservation society chairperson Tadashi Okamoto, 54, said. "Every community thinks their float is the best. Even this year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I'd like to continue to respect that spirit of the float communities, which has been passed down from older generations." A figure of worship placed in the tokonoma alcove of the Kankoboko Hozonkai preservation society. (On July 1, 2020) The word used to refer to the float communities is "machishu" or "choshu" in Japanese, meaning "townspeople." It refers to merchants and traders with a high sense of autonomy, who emerged during and after the Muromachi period (1336–1573). Having inherited its float, which used to be managed by such merchants, the Kankoboko Hozonkai preservation society hopes to carry forth their spirit. Meanwhile, the Naginatahoko Hozonkai preservation society did not perform Kippu-iri, which, in usual years, it holds on July 5. The Naginata-hoko float is currently the only float that carries a live sacred child, instead of a figure, in the festival. It is famous for Shimenawa-giri, in which that child uses a real sword to cut a sacred rope. This year, however, it has not assembled its float, and there is no sacred child. That is why the preservation society decided to perform only purification and no Kippu-iri. Purification of the Naginata-hoko float. The ceremony, which is held annually on July 10, was brought forward this year. (On July 5, 2020) Photo by Ryo Masuyama On the Naginata-hoko float, there are four attendants, called chigo-kakari, who look after the sacred child, or "chigo" in Japanese. During the festival period, they meet almost every day with the elementary school child who has been chosen as the sacred child to help him with things like his costume. Also, on the day of the procession, they stand behind him on the float to support him in cutting the sacred rope with a sword and carrying out the Taihei-no-Mai performance. A summer without a sacred child "I have served as an attendant to the sacred child for nearly 20 years, but this is the first time we have had no sacred child to care for," said float representative Hiroshi Asobe, 66. "It is truly unfortunate, but I think it is the deities' intention." July 17. In normal years, this is the most spectacular day of the festival. The highlights of the day include the Shimenawa-giri, where the sacred child on the lead Naginata-hoko float cuts the sacred rope that has been stretched across Shijo Street, and the Kuji-aratame, where the cord of the lacquered lottery box is untied without using hands, to check that the floats are lined up in the order of the lottery results. The hoko floats perform dynamic changes of direction at intersections in a maneuver known as Tsuji-mawashi, and the sound of the Gion Bayashi music comes from the second floor of the yama floats. In the Saki-Matsuri procession, 23 floats participate, and in the Ato-Matsuri procession on July 24, 10 floats parade, along with representatives of the Taka-yama float (currently under assembly) who carry a chest of sacred objects. They were supposed to enliven the summertime in Kyoto. Many people probably thought there would be no events on the procession days this year. But in fact, some events were held. Shigekatsu Minoura Joined The Kyoto Shimbun in 1996. Covering religion, he has for many years written stories mainly about shrines, temples, and traditional events in Kyoto and Shiga. He is currently on the editorial board. He was a member of Shukyo Kisha Kai, a religion press club, which is said to exist only in Rome and Kyoto. *This article was published on July 18, 2020. *This article is partially published with permission from the Kyoto Shimbun. (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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A quiet Gion Festival #1
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Behind the scenes of the cancellation of the Junko and Togyo processions What was revealed by peeling back the grandeur During the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, the Gion Festival was held, but without the famous Yamahoko Junko procession. This special year of the festival was reported on from the various perspectives of a novelist, a poet, a photographer, and a journalist. Kyoto is quieter this summer. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the city to cancel the spectacular Yamahoko Junko procession, which is the highlight of the Gion Festival, as well as the preceding Yoiyama events that draw nearly a million visitors. There is no Gion Bayashi music, which features the characteristic "con chiki chin" sound, and no stirring Mikoshi Togyo procession of portable shrines, which has become more widely known in recent years. However, the Gion Festival itself is not canceled. The flamboyance is gone this year, but Kyoto is filled with prayers, as always. The Mikoshi-arai-shiki ceremony purifies the Nakagoza (center), one of the mikoshi portable shrines used in the Gion Festival. In usual years, the Nakagoza is carried to the Shijo-Ohashi bridge and purified there. This year, however, due to the cancellation of the Mikoshi Togyo procession, purification was conducted inside the mikoshi-ko, a portable shrine storage house. (At Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, on July 10, 2020) The Gion Festival is a festival of Yasaka Shrine, which is located in Higashiyama Ward. It started in the Heian period (794–1185) as a prayer to drive away plague from the capital. Various rituals are held throughout the entire month of July in the parish area of Shimogyo, Nakagyo, and Higashiyama wards in Kyoto City, where shrine worshipers live. With a history of over 1,000 years, the Gion Festival can be said to be Japan's largest festival in terms of size and extravagance, as well as history. It consists of two main parts: yama float events and mikoshi rituals, with the spectacular yama floats particularly recognized worldwide. There are a total of 33 yama floats in neighborhood associations in the Nakagyo and Shimogyo wards, and another is currently being assembled with the aim of returning to the procession for the first time in 196 years. Three representatives of the Naginatahoko Hozonkai preservation society visited Yasaka Shrine as part of the Osendo-no-Gi ceremony. It usually invites Naginata-hoko float's sacred child and kamuro child attendants as well, but the cancellation of the procession meant there were no such attendants this year, so only preservation society board members participated in the ceremony. They prayed inside the main shrine, walked around it three times, then placed their hands together. (At Yasaka Shrine on July 1, 2020) The floats appear only in July every year. They are assembled on the street, without the use of nails, by instead fastening wood with ropes, and parade through the Shimogyo and Nakagyo areas on July 17 and 24. Since they are decorated with imported tapestries and metalwork that rich Kyoto merchants of old would compete to purchase, they are also referred to as "moving museums." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was forced to cancel its most magnificent and stirring parts this year. People involved in the festival had felt conflicted before it was finally held. Shinyosui water is used to purify the mikoshi portable shrines. After being purified, the water is placed in the maidono pavilion in front of the main shrine until the Mikoshi-arai-shiki ceremony that night. (At Yasaka Shrine on July 10, 2020) The Shinyosui water that is used to purify the mikoshi Shigekatsu Minoura Joined The Kyoto Shimbun in 1996. Covering religion, he has for many years written stories mainly about shrines, temples, and traditional events in Kyoto and Shiga. He is currently on the editorial board. He was a member of Shukyo Kisha Kai, a religion press club, which is said to exist only in Rome and Kyoto. *This article was published on July 13, 2020. ＊This article is partially published with permission from the Kyoto Shimbun. (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Toro-yama
Yama list
A praying mantis inspired the name of its float perched on the roof Toro means mantis and there literally is a figure of a mantis on the float's roof, and its humorous movements are really loved by children. The float is based on a Chinese proverb, "Hatchets of a mantis", meaning a weak man standing up against a powerful enemy. The origin of the proverb is derived from an ancient Chinese tycoon who praised the courage of a mantis trying to fight against him. Due to the financial status of its hosting town, the float had ceased participating in the procession at the beginning of Meiji Era, and its decorative apron was sold. Fortunately, the float with the mantis figure on it had been preserved, and it rejoined the procession in 1979 after an absence of 100 years. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Hikizome：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Taishi-yama
Yama list
The only float with cedar used for its Shingi wood The deity on this yama represents the Crown Prince ("Taishi" in old Japanese) Shotoku of the 6th century. He is famous for laying the foundation of Buddhism in Japan, and therefore, has been widely worshiped by people regardless of their religious sects. A legend concerning him is the origin of this float. When he was to establish Shitennouji Temple, he climbed a mountain himself in search of fine wood. On the mountain, an old man told him about a tall sacred cedar, and he built a hexagonal temple there. In accordance with this story, this is the only yama which uses cedar tree for its Shingi pole, while other floats are surmounted with pine trees. The prince's figure on the yama, made in the Edo period (1600 - 1867), depicts his noble image in a white short-sleeved kimono wearing his trademark hair-style, a hair lobe on each side of his round face. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Araretenjin-yama
Yama list
Originated from being enshrined as a deity of fire protection When a fierce fire was about to devastate Kyoto during the Eisho period (1504-1520), a sudden hail ("arare" in Japanese) put out the ferocious blaze. The image of this yama is said to be a small statue of Tenjin, or the God of Thunder, which fell down with the hail at that time. It has been enshrined as a god who prevents fire calamities. Its talismanic power is so evident that only this yama could survive the big fires in 1788 and 1864 which destroyed many other yama and hoko. As a result, the Tenjin image has become the pride of the community. "Here are amulets that will protect you from lightning and fire. Please take one. Don't miss the only chance to get one this year! This song is chanted by children at the Yoiyama night festival, which is on the eve of the Yamahoko Junko parade, as they ask for donations and give out amulets to contributors. This yama carries a dignified miniature shrine that has a roof shingled with Japanese cypress. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Yamabushi-yama
Yama list
The object of worship decorated on the float represents Yamabushi The name "Yamabushi," a mountain ascetic, comes from the outfit worn by the deity that is carried on the yama. Among the 23 floats in Saki-no-Matsuri, the first part of the parade, this yama comes from the northernmost town. Like En-no-Gyoja Yama, Yamabushi Yama was inspired by the popular folk belief of the time in yamabushi and their practice of Shugendo, an ancient shamanistic religion. The front grand drape was brought from China, and gorgeously depicts a dragon in the clouds, big blue waves and a kylin, a deer-like mythical creature, in exquisite embroidery. The main tapestry at the back is also said to have been made in China during the Ming dynasty. The mountain ascetics from Shogoin Temple visit this yama to worship the deity on July 15. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Urade-yama
Yama list
The figure holding a fishing rod represents Empress Jingu The doll with a fishing rod represents Empress Jingu, a mythical empress of the 3rd century. This yama originates from the legend that she predicted victory in the coming battle by catching a trout when fishing in a river in Hizen, the northwest part of Kyushu. This yama had been called by its nickname, Aiwai Yama, until the Meiji era (1868-1912), and it shows how popular the yama was among local people. The new side tapestries were completed in 1991 after 10-years of work, perfecting the colorful suite of pictures of the three most scenic spots in Japan. The grand drapes picturing the 36 most famous poets, including Ariwara-no-Narihira, also attracts people. The 36 poets were selected from the poets of the 7th to 10th centuries by Fujiwara-no-Kintou, a poet in the 10th and 11th century. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Kakkyo-yama
Yama list
Based on a story of Kakkyo's devotion to his mother While yama floats are usually roofless, this one has a sunshade screen on the top. Another unique point of this yama is that it maintains the traditional style of a decorative upper frame for the body. The board frame is beautifully painted with a colorful flower-like motif on a gold background. The name "Kakkyo" comes from a man in a historical Chinese story. Guo Ju ("Kakkyo" in Japanese) was too poor to feed both his mother and son. Cornered, Guo made the tough decision to abandon his son in the woods to save his mother. However, when he was digging to bury his son alive, he found a pot of gold in the ground, and did his utmost to practice filial piety from then on. Two dolls are on the float: Guo Ju with a plow and his son with red and white peonies. The design of the rear tapestry, which was renewed in 1991, is based on a folding screen from the Momoyama period (late 16th century). INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Hakuga-Yama
Yama list
A figure holding a hatchet with his harp in front of him Since there has been no public place to display the "Hakuga Yama" float after World War II, it has been placed at the Sugimoto Residence, the traditional wooden townhouse on Aya-no-koji-dori Street. Every year, during the Gion Festival, they remove the wooden screens in the entrance hall so that passers-by can enjoy the decorations. The doll sitting in front of the koto (Japanese traditional harp) with a hatchet is Hakuga, a Chinese virtuoso of harp in the era of the Chin dynasty (265-420). The float depicts the scene in which Hakuga, with enraged eyes and flushed cheeks, is about to destroy his harp in desperate grief at the news of his best friend's death. Many yama floats were forced to rename themselves in the Meiji Era, and there is a record that this float was also renamed from "Kotowari (breaking a harp) Yama" to "Hakuga Yama". INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 12 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak No.17 ＜ Tuki-hoko No.19 Toro-yama ＞ (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Iwato-yama
Yama list
Based on the Kuniumi and Amano-Iwato myths This drawn float is named after two Japanese mythical stories, "Kuniumi"(Making of the Land) and "Ama-no-iwato" (Heavenly Rock Cave) in the "Kojiki" (Record of Ancient Matters) and "Nihon-shoki" (the second oldest history book about ancient Japan). According to the myths, Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess, hid herself in "Ama-no-iwato", the legendary cave, out of anger towards her violent younger brother, Susanoo-nomikoto, and darkness covered the land. The multitudinous gods gathered at Yasu-no-kawara, the riverside in the Plain of Heaven, to discuss how to calm her anger and entice her out of the cave. They made singing birds that never get old and die, cast a divine mirror, made 500 comma-shaped beads, planted Sakaki, the evergreen trees of Mt. Ama-no-kagu-yama, and had Ame-no-uzume-no-mikoto dance in front of the cave to induce the goddess to come out. Three dolls representing Izanagi-no-mikoto, Amaterasu-Omikami and Tajikarao-no-mikoto respectively, are set up on the float. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 11 Hikizome：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Hosho-yama
Yama list
Giving anti-theft and matchmaking charms The old name for this yama float is "Hana-Nusubito Yama", or the flower thief's yama. The figure on the yama represents Hirai Hosho (956-1036), grandson of Chief Councilor of State Fujiwara Motokata and son of Fujiwara Munekata. He was both a good warrior and a good poet. One day, in order to please a court lady he had fallen in love with, he went to get a branch of plum blossoms from the Imperial garden. Although he successfully took one, a palace guard noticed him. With arrows being shot at his head, he narrowly escaped from the palace. The lady was Izumi Shikibu, a famous poet in the court of that age who later became his wife. Amulets against theft and for happy marriage are given away at this yama. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 12 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Moso-yama
Yama list
Miokuri rear tapestry with a Moso bamboo forest drawn by Takeuchi Seiho Meng Zong (Moso in Japanese) is a paragon of a man from "Records of Filial Piety in 24 Chapters" compiled in the Yuan dynasty, China. When his mother was seriously ill, he walked around a snow-covered bamboo grove looking for a bamboo shoot, her favorite delicacy. As it was a cold winter, it was very hard to find one, and he became totally exhausted. However, when he finally flopped onto the ground, he found one under the snow. His mother fully recovered after eating it. The town that owns this yama, Takanna, which means bamboo, was also named after this story. The main tapestry was painted by Seiho Takeuchi (1864-1942), a leading painter of the age who introduced European realism to innovate Japanese art culture. The tapestry depicts a bamboo grove on a white background with a powerful and dynamic touch. This simple black and white tapestry stands out well among the richly colored tapestries of other yama and hoko. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 14 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Ashikari-yama
Yama list
A float with one of the oldest objects of worship and costumes The deity figure (a doll) and its clothes are the oldest of those on all the floats. The year 1537 is inscribed on the doll's head. Its "kosode" robe, a short-sleeved kimono, is presumed to have been made in the 16th century, and is designated as one of the important cultural assets in Japan. The scene on this float is derived from an old Noh song, "Ashikari" (A Reed Reaper) based on folklore about a couple living in Settu (the northern part of present Osaka Prefecture), who had to separate because of poverty. The wife went to Kyoto, the ancient Japanese capital, to work at the Imperial Palace. However, she worried about her husband and returned to their hometown, where she found he'd fallen into worse circumstances and become a reed reaper. The front and sides of the float are decorated with artificial reeds. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Aburatenjin-yama
Yama list
Originated from being enshrined as a deity of fire protection When a fierce fire was about to devastate Kyoto during the Eisho period (1504-1520), a sudden hail ("arare" in Japanese) put out the ferocious blaze. The image of this yama is said to be a small statue of Tenjin, or the God of Thunder, which fell down with the hail at that time. It has been enshrined as a god who prevents fire calamities. Its talismanic power is so evident that only this yama could survive the big fires in 1788 and 1864 which destroyed many other yama and hoko. As a result, the Tenjin image has become the pride of the community. "Here are amulets that will protect you from lightning and fire. Please take one. Don't miss the only chance to get one this year! This song is chanted by children at the Yoiyama night festival, which is on the eve of the Yamahoko Junko parade, as they ask for donations and give out amulets to contributors. This yama carries a dignified miniature shrine that has a roof shingled with Japanese cypress. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Tokusa-yama
Yama list
Inspired by the Noh play Tokusa written by Zeami This yama features a scene from one of Zeami's Noh chants, "Tokusa", or a kind of scouring rush. The figure in this float is an old man who came to cut mares' tails. He is dancing in memory of his beloved child who was kidnapped a long time before. The life-size figure of an old man holds a sickle in his right hand and a bunch of mares' tails in his left hand. The year 1692 is written on the base of the figure in Chinese ink. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Hakurakuten-yama
Yama list
Named after Haku Rakuten, a poet in China's Tang dynasty This float features the figures of two men. The man wearing a Chinese-style crown is Bai Letian ("Haku Rakuten" in Japanese), a Chinese poet during the Tang dynasty who is famous for his splendid poems like Changhenge. The other man with a priest's hood is Daolin, a Chinese priest of Zen Buddhism. This yama depicts the scene where Bai Letian questioned Daolin about what Buddhism is. This float also has gone through a succession of cruel hardships. It lost the mainframe of its body and the torso parts of the figures in the great fires in 1788 and 1864. Each time, the float had to leave the parade to undergo restoration work. The front tapestry depicts one scene from the Trojan War. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Yamatate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Naginata-hoko
Hoko list
The only float with the sacred child on board to lead the procession The Naginata Hoko float leads the procession of the Hoko and Yama floats. The order of the floats is decided by drawing lots; however the Naginata Hoko float is an exception and has been privileged to head the procession for some years. The name Naginata is derived from the great halberd crowning the float, made by Sanjo-Kokaji-Munechika, a master of sword smithing during the Heian period (794-1185). Munechika dedicated the halberd to Yasaka Shrine, as an offering for the recovery of his daughter from disease; however, there was a warrior during the Kamakura period (1192-1334) who used the halberd often. It is said that while the halberd was in his possession, mysterious things occurred time and again, so the warrior eventually returned it to the shrine. In 1522, when an epidemic prevailed in the city, the halberd was displayed in Naginata-hoko town as directed by an oracle, and miraculously, the epidemic died down. It is believed that this hoko was built in 1441. The length of the halberd pole, called a Shingi, is twenty meters. Today, this is the only hoko which carries the sacred child, Chigo, during the proceedings. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 10 Hikizome：July 12 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Kanko-hoko
Hoko list
Based on Lord Mengchang's historical event in ancient China The design of this hoko is based on a Chinese chronicle of a lord, Meng Changjun of Qin. During the Chinese Warring States period (B.C.476- 221), King Zhaoxiang (B.C. 306-251) of Qin invited Lord Meng Changjun to serve as the prime minister for his country. However, due to slanderous reports during the course of his leadership, Meng Changjun tried to escape from the Qin capital of Xianyang. He made it to the Han Gu Guan barrier, but found the barrier gate would open only when the cocks crowed. Fortunately, one of his subordinates could imitate this, and soon the cocks crowed in chorus, the gate opened, and Meng Changjun was able to successfully escape. On this hoko, the length of the Shingi pole is twenty-two meters. Its top is covered by triangle-shaped white linen, and an upwards-facing crescent symbol. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 10 Hikizome：July 12 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Shijokasa-hoko
Hoko list
Returned in 1987 after 117 years This hoko float made a remarkable comeback to the parade in 1987 after 117 years of absence. It continued participating in the parade even after the 1864 battle fire, but from 1872, it ceased participation and the equipment was scattered and lost. It was revived with the help of the Mibu Rokusai chant and dance group as Ayagasa Hoko also was. This hoko maintains the original shape of the umbrella-type hoko of the Ohnin era (1467-1469), with a flowery umbrella consisting of a huge arabesque-designed umbrella with a colorfully dyed silk canopy. The procession of rod bearers wearing the Shaguma Oni brown bear devil mask, dancers, and musicians is rather simple, but pleasant. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 14 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Ayagasa-hoko
Hoko list
Resurrected after being lost to a fire and disappearing from the festival Although it has "hoko" in its name, it is a parasol-shaped float unlike a traditional "hoko", and it has a long history with its origin dating back beyond Ohnin-no-ran, the decade long battle that started in 1467. Destroyed by the fire in 1864, the hoko was once restored in 1879, but it left the parade again soon after that. Finally, it returned to the parade in 1979. Its form has also been changed many times. This float was originally shouldered by marchers. However, it was converted to a "pull-style" float in the Edo period. An existing old picture of this hoko from those days shows a huge parasol made of gorgeous fabrics placed on the roof of a court carriage. It was restored as a "shoulder float" again in 1879, and will be shouldered this year as well. In the procession, a troop of musicians plays bells and drums around a demon-masked main dancer swinging a rod. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Fune-hoko
Hoko list
Based on Empress Jingu's ship expedition to Silla in the Chronicles of Japan The origin of the Fune Hoko (Fune means "a ship" or"a boat") is a story from Chronicles of Japan: Empress Jingu crossed the sea to conquer the Shilla Kingdom on the Korean Peninsula. The figure of Empress Jingu, stored inside the houseboat-shaped float, wears a mask, a crown, a long-sleeved jacket in dark blue and golden silk, a pair of intricately decorated scarlet pants and dignified scarlet amour. The Empress gave birth to the 15th Emperor of Ohjin. Following the Empress's example, the deity figure wears the bleached white clothes around its body, which are given away as maternity girdles for easy deliveries after the procession. The head of the boat is crowned by Geki, a legendary phoenix bird. The Geki is 1.3 meters in height and 2.7 meters in wingspan. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 11 Hikizome：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Houka-hoko
Hoko list
Once carried a live sacred child but now carries a figure This name comes from the Hohge priest's image enshrined on the deity platform at the middle of the Shingi pole. The Hohge priest was a priest who did juggling performances on the street while preaching the faith to the people. On top of the pole are symbols of three lights; the sun, the moon and the stars, shining on the world below. The shape resembles the Suhama family crest; therefore it is also called the Suhama Hoko. Like the Naginata Hoko, this hoko once carried a sacred child, but a sacred doll has replaced this since 1929. The doll, which His Imperial Highness Prince Taka of Kuni named Sanko-maru (sanko meaning 'three lights'), can be manipulated to dance on the float in the same way as the sacred child does during the procession. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 11 Hikizome：July 13 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Tuki-hoko
Hoko list
40 cm-wide golden crescent at the tip of the spear The Kojiki, "Records of Ancient Matters", says that when Izanagi-no-mikoto had himself purified after coming back from the land of the dead, three deities were born; the sun goddess Amaterasu-Oomikami when Izanagi washed his left eye, the moon god Tsukiyomi-no-mikoto when he washed his right eye, and the storm god Susanoo-no-mikoto when he washed his nose. Tsukiyomi-no-mikoto not only governs the world of night, but is also the god of water. The name of Tsuki Hoko comes from this ancient story, tsuki meaning 'moon'. At the top of the Shingi pole is a golden crescent, forty centimeters in width and twenty-four centimeters in length. At the middle of the pole, just under the deity platform with the Tenno divine symbol on it, a ship-shaped basket is attached. Despite a large fire in 1864, it lost only the pole. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 10 Hikizome：July 12 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Kikusui-hoko
Hoko list
Revived in 1953. 16-petal chrysanthemum crest at the tip of the spear The idea for this hoko comes from a Noh chant, Kikujido ('The Boy with Chrysanthemums'). Once, an imperial envoy for Emperor Han Wendi of Wei went deep into the woods to get medicine, where they met a boy. The boy said he had been forced to leave the city 700 years ago after accidentally stepping over the Emperor's pillow. Since then, he had written down verses of Lotus Sutra on chrysanthemum leaves, and after drinking dew from these leaves, had gained eternal life. The boy gave this special water to the imperial envoy. This hoko was reconstructed in 1953. On top of the hoko are sixteen chrysanthemums facing the heavens, and a plaque displaying the words Kiku-Sui (Chrysanthemum Water) engraved upon it. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 10 Hikizome：July 12 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Niwatori-hoko
Hoko list
The rooster and drum are a symbol of peace and security The origin of this hoko is said to be one of the Chinese legends, Kanko, and is also said to be a story of Kojiki about the goddess Amaterasu-Oomikami and singing birds that never get old and die. The Kanko is the story about the Chinese legendary Emperor Yao, who is said to have established the Chinese calendar system more than 4000 years ago. He set a drum outside the imperial court and encouraged the people to hit it when they had any complaints. Furthermore, he erected a wooden post and counseled the people to write their complaints on it. From that day onwards, it is said that the society lived in peace and security, so much so that the drum even become a home for the cocks (the Niwatori of Niwatori Hoko means 'cock'). The crown of the hoko is a triangle frame with rolled-up red and white cloth. In addition, a copper disk is fitted inside the triangle, and a bundle of linen fibers are attached to each of three corners. INFO 【Location】 Google Maps 【Schedule】 Hokotate：July 10 Hikizome：July 12 Yoiyama：From July 14 Yamahoko Junko：July 17,from 9:00 【 Website 】 Official website (Japanese) What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Yasaka-jinja Shrine
Related Events
Gion Festival | Yasaka Shrine Ofiicial Website
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Shijo Bridge
Related Events
Gion Festival | Yasaka Shrine Ofiicial Website
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Kyoto City Hall
Related Events
Kyoto City Official Travel Guide
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Yasaka Shrine Otabisho
Related Events
Gion Festival | Yasaka Shrine Ofiicial Website
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What is the Gion Festival?
What is the Gion Festival?
History Schedule Highlight This map provides information on the floats that will be paraded during the Gion Festival from Monday, July 1, 2024 to Wednesday, July 17, 2024, along with your location information (GPS). ↓Click here for Ato-Matsuri Map↓ Dates: July 18 (Thursday) to 31 (Wednesday), 2024 What is the Gion Festival? Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, is held annually throughout the entire month of July in central Kyoto and at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward. It features various rituals and events including the Yamahoko Junko procession and the Shinko-sai festival, which are the primary highlights of the festival. Yama floats parade up Kawaramachi Street with the Naginata-hoko float leading the pack. These beautiful yama floats bathing in the summer sun are watched over by the thousands of spectators who attend the festival. Origin and history of the Gion Festival Gion Festival is thought to date back to 869 in the early Heian period when a plague spread across the city of Kyoto. The people prayed for an end to the plague by erecting 66 hoko spears, which represent the number of provinces of Japan at that time, at the vast Shinsen-en gardens outside of the city's castle and carrying a portable mikoshi shrine from Yasaka Shrine. The main Yamahoko Junko procession came to a halt due to the Onin War (1467-1477) but was revived by the townspeople in 1500. Following this, tapestries and other items brought from overseas, including China, Persia, and Belgium, began being used to decorate the floats. These luxury ornaments made the yama floats come to be called "moving museums." Despite a fire damaging floats in the Edo period, the townspeople kept up the tradition of the festival and have successfully preserved it to this day. In 2009, the Yamahoko Junko procession was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The Yamahoko Junko procession is what is known as a Tsuyuharai, which precedes the Mikoshi Togyo procession, and consists of two parts: Saki-Matsuri, preceding the Shinko-sai festival, and Ato-Matsuri, including the Kanko-sai festival. During Japan's period of economic growth, the Saki-Matsuri and Ato-Matsuri processions were held together to prevent traffic jams and promote tourism, but they have since been separated to return to the original form of the festival. In 2014, the Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko procession was resurrected after half a century. The sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float confidently performing Shimenawa-giri Gion Festival schedule Gion Festival opens every year with the Kippu-iri ritual on the 1st of July. The Kujitori-shiki lottery ceremony is held on the 2nd at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of floats in the procession. Assembly of the floats for Saki-Matsuri begins around the 10th, and Hikizome, or the first pulling of the floats, is performed around the 12th. After festive evenings known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on the 14th, Yoiyoiyama on the 15th, and Yoiyama on the 16th, 23 floats parade down the main streets of Kyoto, along with Gion Bayashi music, on the 17th for Saki-Matsuri. Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the floats are assembled for Ato-Matsuri. The Yoiyama evenings are set to take place on the 21st through the 23rd, and Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko is on the 24th. The Hanagasa Junko procession follows Yamahoko Junko. On the evening of the 24th, the Kanko-sai festival is held to bring the mikoshi shrines back from their temporary housing facility, the Otabisho, to their shrines. The carriers crammed at the foot of the stone steps cheer as they lift the three mikoshi into the air. Gion Festival highlights Before Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Hikizome, which takes place around the 12th, is often open to the general public. Until Yoiyama on the 16th, people can enjoy the yama floats and hoko spears illuminated by traditional Japanese lanterns down the narrow Kyoto side streets where they are displayed. From the yama floats, people can also get chimaki, or charms to protect against disease, and amulets that symbolize blessings in education or success in life. On the day of Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 23 yama floats leave near Shijo and Karasuma at 9:00 a.m. They go east down Shijo Street, go north up Kawaramachi Street, and then west down Oike Street. The highlights include Shimenawa-giri, a ritual held at Shijo-Fuyacho in which a sacred child on the Naginata-hoko float cuts a sacred rope, and Tsuji-mawashi, where the yama floats turn directions at intersections. Before Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko Starting on the day following Saki-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko, the Ofune-hoko float is assembled. During the Yoiyama period, no street stalls are permitted to allow spectators to enjoy the original atmosphere of the festival. On the day of Ato-Matsuri Yamahoko Junko A total of 11 yama floats leave Karasuma Oike at 9:30 a.m. They move in the reverse direction of Saki-Matsuri. People come from all over to see the revived Ofune-hoko float and reversed Tsuji-mawashi turning of the floats as they parade in the opposite direction to Saki-Matsuri. Hanagasa Junko, which replaced the Ato-Matsuri procession for many years until its return, proceeds down Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street, following the Ato-Matsuri procession. The Naginata-hoko float being turned in the Tsuji-mawashi while the wheels creak (c) 1996-2023 The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd. All rights reserved.
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