“Gion Matsuri”
The month of the “Gion Matsuri” has arrived! All of Kyoto is in a festive mood…
The Gion Matsuri is a festival of Yasaka Shrine, also known as one of the most famous festivals in Japan. It takes place over the entire month of July.
Gion Matsuri first began over a thousand years ago in Kyoto, the capital of Japan at the time. The whole country was suffering from a mysterious epidemic, and the emperor was determined to end it.
He believed that the evil spirits caused this epidemic. He sent away a messenger to Yasaka-jinja Shrine in Kyoto to pray for the epidemic to end.
The epidemic disappeared, and the people were thrilled. To show their appreciation, this festival was established as an annual festival for the people to celebrate for generations to come.
Now, a local boy is chosen as a sacred messenger to the gods. This boy is called the “Chigo”, he sits on one of the elaborate floats during the festival, and his feet will never touch the ground.
There are two types of floats at the Gion Festival, called the “Yama” and “Hoko."
The Hoko is about 25 meters tall and weighs up to 12 tons.
Both “Yama" and “Hoko" are carefully decorated with beautiful craftwork such as woven Nishijin fabric and Yuzen-dyed fabric.
The floats are often called “moving masterpieces.”
For three nights before the main parades, people dress up in summer Yukata to celebrate. These nights are called "Yoiyama." Food and arcade stalls line the streets and offer everything from shaved ice to corn on the cob, as the sound of Gion festival music echoes from all directions.
On the morning of July 17th,23rd, and 24th the festival floats are drawn through the streets of Kyoto, the climax of the parade. It is a beautiful parade like no other.
People throughout not just the country, but throughout the world come to see the parade.
The tradition of parading yamahoko has continued for hundreds of years and is now cherished as part of Kyoto's cultural heritage.
Join us in the festive atmosphere of the Gion Matsuri with our “O-matsuri T-shirts!”
