Gion Matsuri

Gion Matsuri does not happen on one weekend. It runs for the whole of July, from the first ritual at Yasaka Shrine on 1 July to the closing Natsukoshi ceremony at the Eki-jinja shrine on 31 July. Most visitors come for two things inside that month: the evenings before the float parade, when the streets are closed to traffic and the floats stand lit, and the parade itself.

The festival began in 869. Epidemics were spreading through Kyoto and other parts of Japan, and the response was to raise 66 halberds, one for each province of the time, and to carry a portable shrine from Gion-sha to the Shinsen-en garden to pray for the calamity to end. The tall floats, the yamaboko, are what the festival is known for today. Until 1966 the parade was split in two, a first half on 17 July with 20 floats and a second half on 24 July with 9. In 1966 the two were merged on 17 July, and the 24 July procession then became the Hanagasa Junko, a procession with flower-covered parasols. In recent years the float parade has again been held in two parts, on 17 and 24 July, and the two parades follow different routes.

The evenings before the parade, called yoiyama, are the best time to walk among the floats. They usually run from about 18:00 to 23:00.

How to go. Watching the parade is free from the pavement. Reserved seats exist, and sell out early, but are not needed. The sources disagree on the exact start times, so check the programme once Kyoto publishes it in spring. The 2027 programme is not out yet; the parade days have been stable at 17 and 24 July, but confirm both before you book. Mid-July in Kyoto is hot and humid, so bring water and a hat, and expect hotel prices to rise through the month. The Kyoto guide covers the city itself.