GION MATSURI FESTIVAL
A living symbol of Kyoto’s 1,200 years of rich, colorful history
Beginning on July 1st, the Gion Matsuri Festival is a magnificent festival lasting the entire month showing pageants of history, pride, life and the spirit of Kyoto. Join the Gion Festival and experience the wonder of Japan through this magnificent event with more than 1,000 years of history.
© Jeremy Hoare
History
The Gion Festival is an annual festival dedicated to the deity of Yasaka Shrine. The origin of the festival dates back to 869, the early Heian period (794-1185), as one of Japan’s oldest special protective Goryo-e festivals to stop a series of devastating plagues. In desperation, the reigning emperor decreed that special prayers be said at Yasaka Shrine. The festival became a yearly event starting around 970 and, except for brief interruptions, has continued ever since.
Though the festival began as a religious ritual, by the end of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) it had also become a way for craft guilds and merchant families to compete in showing off their wealth and taste. Large floats, musicians, dances, comic plays, and artistic treasures were all part of the celebrations at the close of the 10th century.
As the floats became increasingly elaborate and heavier, large wheels were added so that the floats could be rolled. In the 14th century, the floats acquired a second story for musicians and page boys. From the late 16th century onwards, as a result of the growing prosperity of Kyoto’s merchants, artworks from China, Persia, and even Europe found their way along the Silk Road to the capital.
For nearly 50 years until 2014, the two grand parades (today, Saki Matsuri on the 17th and Ato Matsuri on the 24th) had been united as one and, therefore, the parade was held only once on the 17th. However, the citizens of Kyoto were eager to have it come back to its original form and their wish became true in 2014. The Saki Matsuri parade is gorgeous and boisterous with many floats while the revived Ato Matsuri is held in a much quieter atmosphere.
The Yama & Hoko Floats
There are two kinds of floats: Yama and Hoko. There are 33 floats in the grand parade: 23 Yama floats and 10 Hoko floats. Yama are smaller floats (weighing about 1.5 ton, about 6 meters high) and carried by people on their shoulders. The Yama floats depict scenes from Chinese and Japanese history and mythology and often depict pine trees, shrines, and mannequins.
Hoko are massive 2-storied floats (weighing about 5-12 ton, about 25 meters high) on large wooden wheels and pulled by people. One float requires at least 12 or 13 people and large ones have 50 people, and still, it is very tough and tiring work to pull these massive floats in the city without a break under the severe summer sun.
In the 15th century, when Kyoto’s kimono merchants’ fortunes grew, they began to compete against each other to see who could
build the biggest and most beautiful floats. During the Edo period (1600-1868) and early Meiji period (1868-1912), the floats and the city of Kyoto were badly damaged by the fires of war on several occasions. However, each time the citizens worked hard to rebuild everything and the festival continued to grow in popularity and fame. For this reason, the floats are also called “moving museums.”
Mikoshi — Vehicle of Deity connecting people and their guardians
Although the Yama & Hoko Grand Parades on the 17th and the 24th have become the central symbols of the Gion Festival today, it must be remembered that the grand parade is just one of the many events in the festival. More than anything, the most important part of the festival is that this day is dedicated to the deity of Yasaka Shrine.
In Chinese characters mikoshi literally means the “Vehicle of Deity.” It is unique to Shinto and carrying mikoshi at village festivals is said to have begun in the Muromachi period (1336-1573). Mikoshi are highly sacred objects that help to create a direct connection between the deity and humanity, purifying the area and energizing people. It is for this reason that as a sign of love and respect to the deity, they are carried above everybody on the carrier’s shoulders.
On the day of the Shinko-sai Festival (17th), all three mikoshi (Naka-goza, Higashi-goza and Nishi-goza) gather in front of Yasaka Shrine at around 18:30, carried by nearly 2000 people, which is such a powerful and amazing scene. The mikoshi will be carried from Yasaka Shrine to Otabisho. This process is reversed at Kankosai (24th), when the three mikoshi are carried back from Otabisho to Yasaka Shrine.
The climax comes, when the three mikoshi return to Yasaka Shrine (around midnight), finally returning the deities to their home at the end of Kanko-sai. Suddenly, the area will be immersed in complete darkness and silence – it is such a sacred moment. People are even hesitant to open their eyes, immersing themselves in the aura of the deities. Mikoshi is what connects the people of Kyoto and their guardians with a strong tie in the Gion Festival.
Interview with Alex Davies — One of the only foreigners to be invited to partake in the Mikoshi rituals
Alex Davies, from UK, the head distiller of the
Kyoto Distillery and
a resident of Kyoto for
over three years, had an opportunity to take part in the Shinko-sai
and Kanko-sai mikoshii
rituals in 2018 for the first time.
What does it
mean to him to be involved in such a speciall
cultural display?
KVG: What do you find special about this extraordinarily long-historic festival that Kyoto people have continued for over 1200 years?
Alex: I think the sheer length of time that event has been upheld is so impressive and the enthusiasm that people still have for the tradition. It’s a wonderful thing to experience. You can really feel the spiritual significance of the festival, not only for Kyoto but the entirety of Japan. Being asked to be a part of a festival that is revered as one of the most illustrious in the country’s ancient summer celebrations is a very special feeling.
KVG: Was your impression about joining the festival different before and after carrying the mikoshi?
Alex: Absolutely! Carrying the Yasaka Mikoshi with the Sanwaka team certainly left it’s mark... both physically (my shoulder was black and blue for a few weeks following!), and emotionally as it is such a grueling ordeal. As a spectator of the festival, you only ever see a small stretch of the route. You only ever see the shrine carried over a fraction of its 6 hour journey through the city, but when you are a part of that team and right in the thick of it for the duration of the procession, shouting encouragement and smiling and laughing with one another through the pain because you are proud to be a part of something so special, it’s an experience I’ll never forget.
KVG: What made you decide to continue to join the Mikoshi again this year?
Alex I was completely blown away by the openness and the dedication of my fellow team members. They were so welcoming to me and keen to teach me the history of the event and the importance of the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto culture. I felt so proud to be a part of this and it just really inspired me to want to come back. Unfortunately, this year I am away on business for the actual parade dates, but I’ll be joining the training sessions as usual as part of the community.
KVG: The weather in July is so hot in Kyoto, how did you cope and did it give you a different perspective on what people go through to partake in these special matsuri?
Alex: Definitely! It was so tough last year. The mikoshi are incredibly heavy and the carrying is very physical, I gave myself a little heatstroke at the procession as I wasn’t completely prepared! It really brought home to me just what people will go through to celebrate their faith. It’s amazing. No heat stroke on round two thank goodness, lesson learnt.
KVG: Have you ever been involved in anything similar before? Do you have any comparable events like this back in the UK?
Alex: This was a real first for me, I’ve not been involved in anything quite as monumental in scale or as steeped in history nor have I ever been through anything as physically and mentally challenging before. I don’t know of anything quite like the Gion Matsuri in the UK.
KVG: Has the event changed your opinion on living in Kyoto at all?
Alex: Absolutely, I have a much greater appreciation for the culture of Kyoto and its people. The way that history and religion are so entwined in modern day culture is awe-inspiring and something that I’m not used to seeing in the UK. Kyoto is a really special place, I feel honoured to live and work here and being involved in Gion Matsuri only increased my love for the city.
