Gion Matsuri

The month of July brings the gift of Gion Matsuri, an annual festival that takes place in Kyoto and is said to be one of the most famous festivals in Japan. This fiesta runs through the entire month of July and is crowned by the gorgeous procession called Yama-boko Junk? on 17th of the month.

The 3 successive nights before the gigantic parade, are known as Yoiyama on July 16th, Yoiyoiyama on July 15th, and Yoiyoiyoiyama on July 14th. During this span Kyoto downtown is closed for pedestrian traffic only. The lanes and roads are lined with night stalls selling food such as traditional Japanese sweets, BBQ chicken skewers, taiyaki, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and many other culinary delights. Beautiful girls of Kyoto dressed in summer kimono walk around the area, carrying with them conventional purses and paper fans.

Some private houses in the old kimono-merchants district, open the genkan, or entryway, to the public during the Yoiyama eves. The purpose is to exhibit some precious family heirlooms. This is a traditional event recognized as the Byobu Matsuri or the 'Folding Screen Festival.' This is a precious opportunity to visit and study conventional Japanese homes of Kyoto.

This celebration initially originated as part of a purification ceremony. It is said that in 869 CE the populace were suffering from plague and virulent disease which was thought to be a consequent of the rampaging deity Gozu. The monarch ordered that the people pray to the god of the Yasaka shrine, Susanoo-no-mikoto. Sixty-six stylized and ornamented halberds, one for each province in Japan, were ready and erected at Shinsen-en Garden along with the moveable shrines (mikoshi) from Yasaka Shrine.

This became a somewhat standard practice and was repeated wherever an outbreak would occur. In 970 CE it was decreed an annual event and has since seldom been broken. Over time the increasingly powerful and influential merchant class made the festival more involved and used the parade to flourish their wealth.

Yamaboko Float Details
There are two groups in the floats in the Yoiyama Parade, Hoko and Yama, and are together identified Yamaboko. There are 9 of the larger Hoko and 23 of the smaller Yama. All the floats are bedecked with stunning tapestries both from Nishijin and imported from all over the world. In addition to the fiesta, there are a lot of traditional musical groups and artists sitting in the floats.

Hoko Floats
Height: About 25m from ground to tip / 8 m from ground to roof
Wheel diameter: about 1.9 m
Attendants: About 30-40 pulling during procession, usually 2 men piloting with wedges

Yama Floats
Height: About 6 m
Weight: 1,200 - 1,600 kg
Attendants: 14-24 people to pull push or carry

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