Gion Matsuri

The Yamahoko Junko, the float procession, is the headline. On July 17, the saki matsuri or first festival, the larger group of floats parades through central Kyoto in the morning. On July 24, the ato matsuri or later festival, a smaller group follows a reverse route, a tradition restored in 2014 after a long gap.

The most memorable moments are the tsuji mawashi, when the massive floats are turned 90 degrees at intersections by sliding them on split bamboo, a slow and difficult maneuver that draws cheers from the crowd.

The evenings before each procession, called yoiyama, are the most atmospheric part of the festival. On the evenings of July 14 to 16 in particular, central streets close to traffic, the floats are lit with lanterns, festival music plays, food stalls line the streets, and crowds stroll in yukata. Some floats can be boarded for a small fee.

Private houses and merchant families in the float neighborhoods open their homes to display heirlooms such as folding screens and textiles during the yoiyama period, a tradition sometimes called the Byobu Matsuri or folding screen festival.