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Gion Festival
The festival of Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, held throughout July. Its highlight is the procession of huge decorated floats called 山鉾 through the city center. It began in 869 as a rite to drive away epidemics and is one of Japan's three great festivals.
The festival marks the height of summer in Kyoto; many other towns hold festivals of the same name, but 祇園祭 alone usually means Kyoto's.
Common expressions
- 山鉾巡行: the float procession (July 17 and 24)
- 宵山: the evenings before the procession, when the floats are lit and the streets fill with food stalls
- 祇園囃子: the festival music of flutes, drums, and bells
- 日本三大祭り: Japan's three great festivals (with Osaka's 天神祭 and Tokyo's 神田祭)
Cultural note
The floats are owned and maintained by the city's neighborhoods, and their tapestries include European and Persian textiles, which earned them the nickname "moving museums."