15/07/2016
One of the most famous festivals in all of Japan, July in Kyoto is completely dominated by the Gion Festival. Occuring first in 869 and an annual event since 970, the Gion Matsuri has a lot of history to draw from. From the very first days of the month when local neighborhoods begin organizing to the very last day's closing ceremony and purification, those who come to Kyoto during this period would be hard pressed not to find themselves in the middle of a Gion Festival happening. In fact, with so many different rituals, events, and entertainment available in this season, we ddon’t see why you would want to be anywhere else!
In the following photos we'll show you the beginnings of the festival period. During this time a lot of work is going on behind the scenes in each neighborhood that sponsors a float, and the Hōkaboko float neighborhood was kind enough to let us inside their headquarters to observe some of their activities. Once the construction of the various floats begins people turn out from all over the city to watch the wooden structures take form. Considering they are put together using largely traditional techniques, it's quite interesting to watch. Take a stroll around the area and watch all the different floats come together! If you go at the right time, you might even get a chance to try pulling a float down the street. Be careful, though- those things can weigh up to 12 tons!
This album is the first of five in our Gion Festival series, so stay tuned!
