If you travel to Kyoto in July, you can see the Gion Festival. Gion Festival is a festival of Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto.
The festival starts on July 1st at “Kippuiri” and lasts for approximately one month until “Nagoshi Festival” on July 31st.
Among the highlights of the festival are the Shinkowatari of the Yasaka Shrine and 33 pilgrimage tours that take place on July 17 and July 24.
“Yamahoko event of Kyoto Gion Festival” is also registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
Image source : http://kanjisc.com/2012sozai.html
- History of Gion Festival
- Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan
- The highlight is Yamahoko pilgrimage cruise
- Yoiyama – You can see a fantastic view of the night
- The famous amulet “Chimaki” of Gion Festival
- If a hotel in Kyoto is full and you can not make a reservation
- Access to Gion Festival
History of Gion Festival
Image source：https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/bunshi/page/0000203575.html
The Gion Festival started for the first time during the Heian period, about 1000 years ago, to calm down the infectious disease that has spread in the streets of Kyoto.
People of those days prayed for the epidemic plighting by putting up 66 halberds of the number of countries of the whole country of Japan to “Gionsha” (※ present Yasaka Shrine). Furthermore, they carried Gionsha’s shrines and gathered.
In this way, the Gion Gryoue, which prayed for the removal of the disease by prayer, is said to be the origin of the Gion Festival.
Since 970, it has been done every year except during the rebellion and the Second World War.
Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan
Image source : http://kanjisc.com/2012sozai.html
“Gion Festival” is a festival of Yasaka Shrine and one of the three major festivals in Japan.
Its long history, luxury, and scale over a month are widely known, and has been developed as a festival of Kyoto towns.
It is also said to be representative of the Japanese summer festival.
The highlight is Yamahoko pilgrimage cruise
The highlight of the Gion Festival is Yamahoko pilgrimage cruise.
While the sound of the accompaniments echoes in the summer sky, the floats passes along the street.
The first festival comes from Shijo Karasuma, and the second comes from Karasuma Oike.
There are a lot of attractions such as “Kuji-aratame” to check the traveling order and “Tsuji-mawashi” that the floats turn dynamically.
Tsuji-mawashi
Of the 33 floats (Yamahoko), 29 are designated as important tangible folk cultural properties.
The beauty of decorative items such as beautiful embroidery and textiles is also excellent, and it is called the Outdoor Movement Museum.
Yamahoko pilgrimage cruise
Second Festival : July 24
※ A fee-based seat for all seats will be set up at Oike Dori.
Yoiyama – You can see a fantastic view of the night
At Yoiyama, which is an night event, you can watch the floats while the sun goes down and Komagata lanterns are lit, and Gion accompaniments are flowing.
The town hall is decorated with dolls and hanging items (textiles, etc.), and you can see the children singing a song and selling the amulets.
Yoiyama has an event called “Byo-bu festival”, and the old house in Yamahoko-cho has a “Byo-bu style decoration” that opens the decorated room.
You will be able to enjoy traditional Japanese culture in a fantastic atmosphere.
Yoiyama
Second term : July 21-23
The famous amulet “Chimaki” of Gion Festival
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Gion Festival’s “Chimaki” is sold at various places for aversion.
The Chimaki obtained at the Gion Festival are hung at the door of each family, and they are served as amulets and disgusts for disasters for a year until they are replaced with new Chimaki at the Gion Festival next year.
Gion Festival Chimaki is not a food.
Usually, the leaves of Sasa are wrapped in grass and made into bundles.
However, in 2006, the Kuroshuzan Preservation Society changed their mindset because some people misunderstood that they could “eat”, so they sold the first eatable chimaki made with wheat bran at the Gion Festival.
If a hotel in Kyoto is full and you can not make a reservation
Hotels in Kyoto will be filled with reservations during the Gion Festival.
We recommend that you make your reservation as early as possible, or if the hotel in Kyoto is full, we recommend staying in Osaka, Nara or Kobe.
You can travel from Osaka or Nara or Kobe to Kyoto in 30 minutes to 1 hour by train.
Access to Gion Festival
Access to Yamahoko pilgrimage cruise
Location: You can see it in Yasaka Shrine and its surroundings.
・About 8 minutes on foot from Hankyu Kawaramachi Station
・About 15 minutes by car from JR Kyoto Station
・Take city bus No.206 from JR Kyoto Station and get off at a short distance
Access to Yoiyama
Location: Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto City Chukyo-ku
