Gion Festival

The Gion Festival is the annual festival of Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, and has continued since the Jogan era (9th century). It is one of Kyoto’s most iconic summer traditions. Until the Meiji period, it was also known as the Gion Goryo-e. The festival takes place across central Kyoto; for access, it is convenient to use stations such as Shijo, Karasuma-Oike, Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae, and Sanjo Keihan on the Kyoto Municipal Subway, Sanjo and Gion-Shijo on the Keihan Line, and Karasuma and Kyoto-Kawaramachi on the Hankyu Line. The festival runs for an entire month, beginning with “Kippu-iri” on July 1 and concluding with the “Ekijinsha Nagoshi-sai” on July 31. The main highlights are the Yamaboko Processions on the 17th (Saki Matsuri / Early Festival) and the 24th (Ato Matsuri / Later Festival), along with their respective Yoiyama evenings. The sound of Gion-bayashi—“Konkonchikichin, konchikichin”—fills the streets. During Yoiyama, lanterns are lit on the floats, creating a beautiful nighttime atmosphere as you can take your time viewing the yamaboko up close. Many food stalls also appear, adding to the lively summer festival mood. One of the greatest spectacles of the Yamaboko Procession is the dramatic “tsuji-mawashi,” where the massive floats are turned at intersections. The richly decorated floats—often called “moving museums”—parading through the city is truly breathtaking.