i like cheese �
12/11/2023
July in Kyoto is completely dominated by the Gion Festival, one of the most famous festivals in all of Japan. 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 don’t see why you would want to be anywhere else!
The Gion Matsuri has a history dating back all the way to 869, when the emperor dedicated 66 pikes and ordered prayers and festivities be carried out at Yasaka Shrine in order to appease the gods and prevent plague from ravaging the city. The festival has been held annually since 970, and with floats from 999. Since then it has only been interrupted once, for 33 years during the Ōnin Wars.
Though it had its roots as a purification ritual, the Gion Matsuri eventually became a way in which merchants and the wealthy citizens of the Kamakura period could show off ostentatiously to their neighbors, and the level of luxury and elaborate details that went into the various floats rose dramatically. Because of merchant involvement, items from outside Japan were obtained via the Silk Road from the 16th century onwards, and some floats display artwork from the Middle East and Europe on their sides.
Despite numerous incidents of damage by fire and war, the Gion Fe
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