The Kyoto Gion Festival Yamahoko Festival is an event held at Yasaka Shrine, which is enshrined in Gion, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, and is held to pray for warding off the epidemics that tend to occur in the summer.
It is said that the festival began nearly 1,000 years ago, and in the 14th and 15th centuries, kakeyama'', orkakeyama”, in which evergreen trees such as pine were attached to the roofs of floats, became established.
Towards the end of the 16th century, gorgeous textiles were hung as curtains to show the wealth and spirit of the townspeople of Kyoto, and the metal fittings and carvings began to become elaborate.
A variety of events are held, including a parade of 32 floats.
Images of 32 yamahoko are taken from the yamahoko list.
A distinctive feature of these events is that they are run by organizations called choju.
It is an indispensable festival in understanding the origin and evolution of summer festivals in Japan.
