 Gion
Matsuri (Japanese: 祇園祭, "Gion Festival") - An
annual festival that takes place in Kyoto and is said to be
one of the most famous, if not the most famous, festival in
all of Japan. It spans the entire month of July and is
crowned by the beautiful parade, the Yama-boko Junkō (山鉾巡行,
Yama-boko Junkō) on July 17.
Kyoto's downtown area is closed for pedestrian traffic only
on the three nights leading up to the massive parade. These
nights are known as Yoiyama (宵山) on July 16th, Yoiyoiyama
(宵々山) on July 15th, and Yoiyoiyoiyama (宵々々山) on July 14th.
The streets are lined with night stalls selling food such as
yakitori (barbecued chicken skewers), traditional Japanese
sweets, taiyaki, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and many other
culinary delights. Many Kyoto girls dressed in yukata
(summer kimono) walk around the area, carrying with them
traditional purses and paper fans.
During the Yoiyama eves leading up to the parade, some
private houses in the old kimono merchant district open
their genkan or entryway to the public, exhibiting valuable
family heirlooms, a customary event known as the Byōbu
Matsuri or the 'Folding Screen Festival.' This is a precious
opportunity to visit and observe traditional Japanese
residences of Kyoto.
 This
festival first originated as part of a purification ritual (goryo-e)
to appease the gods thought to cause fire, floods and
earthquakes. In 869 CE the people were suffering from plague
and pestilence which was thought to be a result of the
rampaging deity Gozu Tenno. The emperor ordered that the
people pray to the god of the Yasaka shrine, Susanoo-no-mikoto.
Sixty-six stylized and decorated halberds, one for each
province in old Japan, were prepared and erected at Shinsen-en
Garden (at the intersection of Oike Street and Omiya Street,
Nakagyo Ward) along with the portable shrines (mikoshi) from
Yasaka Shrine.
This became a somewhat standard practice and was repeated
wherever an outbreak would occur. In 970 CE it was decreed
an annual event and has since seldom been broken. Over time
the increasingly powerful and influential merchant class
made the festival more elaborate and by Edo Period
(1603-1868) used the parade to brandish their wealth.
In 1533 the Muromachi shogunate halted all religious events,
but the people protested stating that they could do with out
the rituals, but not the procession. This marks the
progression into the festival's current form. Smaller floats
which were lost or damaged over the centuries have been
restored, and the weavers of the Nishijin area offer new
tapestries to replace destroyed ones. When not in use, the
floats and regalia are kept in special storehouses
throughout the central merchant district of Kyoto in the
care of the local people.
Following is a list of selected events of Gion Matsuri every
year.
July 1 through 5 - Kippuiri, opening ceremony of festival,
in each participating neighbourhood
July 2 - Kujitorishiki, lottery for the parade order, in the
municipal assembly hall
July 7 - Shrine visit by chigo children of Ayagasaboko
July 10 - Lantern parade to welcome mikoshi portable shrines
July 10 - Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water
from the Kamo River
July 10 through 13 - Building-up of floats
July 13 a.m. - Shrine visit by chigo children of
Naginataboko
July 13 p.m. - Shrine visit by chigo children of Kuse Shrine
July 14 - Yoiyoiyoiyama
July 15 - Yoiyoiyama
July 16 - Yoiyama
July 16 - Yoimiya shinshin hono shinji, dedicative art
performances
July 17 - Parade of yamaboko floats
July 17 - Parade of mikoshi from Yasaka Shrine to the city
July 24 - Parade of hanagasa or "flower parasols"
July 24 - Parade of mikoshi from the city to Yasaka Shrine
July 28 - Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water
from the Kamo river
July 31 - Closing service at Eki Shrine
The floats in the Yoiyama Parade are divided into two
groups, Hoko and Yama, and are collectively called Yamaboko
(or Yamahoko). There are 9 of the larger Hoko (long pole or
halberd) which represent the 66 spears used in the original
purification ritual, and 23 of the smaller Yama which carry
life-size figures of famous and important people. All the
floats are decorated with beautiful tapestries both from
Nishijin (the finest in all of Japan) and imported from all
over the world. In addition to the art, there are many
traditional musicians and artists sitting in the floats.
Each year the families that maintain the floats draw lots at
a special meeting to determine what order they will take in
the festival. These lots are issued at a special ceremony
before the parade, during which the Mayor of Kyoto dons the
robes of a magister. On the Naginata Hoko is the chigo, a
young boy in Shinto robes and crowned by a golden phoenix,
chosen from among the Kyoto merchant families as the deity's
sacred page. After weeks of special purification ceremonies,
during which he lives isolated from contaminating influences
such as the presence of women, he is carried atop the float
as he is not permitted to touch the ground. The boy must cut
a sacred rope (shimenawa) with a single stroke to begin the
matsuri.
Hoko Floats
Niwatoriboko float, one of the first to begin the parade. At
the top, festival-goers take turns getting on the float
through a side building.Weight: about 12,000 kg
Height: about 25m from ground to tip / 8 m from ground to
roof
Wheel diameter: about 1.9 m
Attendants: about 30-40 pulling during procession, usually 2
men piloting with wedges
Yama Floats
Height: about 6 m
Weight: 1,200 – 1,600 kg
Attendants: 14-24 people to pull, push or carry
Information source: “Gion Matsuri.” wikipedia.org. Article
date: 19 Jan. 2008. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 12 Feb. 2008 <Gion
Matsuri>.
Video - The following videos are of the Gion Matsuri.
The first video is of the actual festival. The second video
is of a street performance at the festival. |
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