Gion Festival 2016

The Gion Festival is perhaps Japan’s best known festival. Running the entire month of July each year, it’s also one of the longest.

The festival is named after Kyoto’s Gion district. Gion is Japan’s most exclusive Geisha entertainment district. However, most of the festival’s main events don’t take place in Gion.

History of the Gion Matsuri

Kyoto has suffered on many occasions from all kinds of bad omens, including epidemics, floods, fires, and earthquakes. To keep the spirits from being angry, special protective or goryo-e festivals have been held in Kyoto since ancient times. The first Gion Matsuri, one of Japan's oldest goryo-e festivals, was held in the early Heian period (794-1185) to stop a series of devastating plagues.

Though the festival began as a religious purification ritual, by the end of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) it had also become a way for craft guilds and merchant families to compete in showing off their wealth and taste. Large floats (still known as hoko), musicians, dances, comic plays, and artistic treasures were all part of the celebrations at the close of the 10th century. As the hoko became increasingly elaborate and heavier, large wheels were added so that the floats could be rolled. In the 14th century, the hoko acquired a second story for musicians and page boys. From the late 16th century onwards, as a result of the growing prosperity of Kyoto's merchants, artwork from China, Persia, and even Europe found their way along the Silk Road to the capital.

Junk Parade

The peak of the festival are the Yamaboko Junk parades on July 17th and July 24th. The streets of Gion are reserved for pedestrian traffic for the three days (July 14-16) leading up to the parade. Vendors offer festival snacks and games on the streets during these days. Many people attend dressed in traditional yukata.

Parade Masters

The festival’s Yamaboko Junk floats weight up to 12,000 kg (26,500 pounds). It’s a lot of work to get them down the street. It can also be dangerous.

Parade masters are in charge of everything. It’s a real engineering project to get the floats down the streets.

Geisha, Maiko and Tayu

Gion Matsuri is perhaps Japan’s best event for geisha enthusiasts and photographers seeking candid photos of Geisha and Maiko.

You might even see one of Kyoto’s more exotic traditions. Here’s an older photo of a Tayu at the festival. Tayu is the top rank of Kyoto courtesan.

Access

Major festival events including the parades are held to the southwest of Kyoto City Hall. The area is accessible from several stations including Karasuma-oike, Kyoto Shiyakushomae, Kawaramachi and Karasuma.