Gion Matsuri - Yoiyama series

Posted by Celialee (Kyoto, Japan) on 25 July 2007 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

This is the start of the Gion Matsuri, a traditional festival celebrated in Japan and held at Yasaka Shrine. It has been held for over 1100 years. The first festival was held in 869 when the city suffered from plague. The people prayed to the gods to save them and portable shrines were paraded through the streets.

For three nights before the main float parade (Yamaboko Junko), a night festival is held called Yoiyama where the public can admire the floats all lit up with lanters, stationed at specific places on the city streets. There are many stalls along the roads as well, selling food, drinks, toys and anything else you can think of. On the floats, the musicians will play traditional Gion bayashi songs lending to the atmosphere of Yoiyama. It is not complete without hearing the songs.

For these three nights, the streets of Shijo, Karasuma and smaller alleys are closed to traffic for a few hours to accomodate the public wanting to see the floats. Thousands descend to Kyoto for this event.

This is a picture of the stalls set up beside each float to sell the chimaki (wrapped rice cakes which are hung above entrances to ward against pestilence), amulets or good luck charms of each float's diety, as well as other souveniours.

After I took a couple of pictures in B&W, I then realised that I set the red filter option on and therefore the lanterns turned out too bright since they were red.
As always, thanks so much for visiting and commenting on this picture!

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