Kyoto Gion Festival Yama-hoko

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.

 Naginata hoko
Kanko hoko
Kikusui hoko
Niwatori hoko
Tuki hoko
Hoka hoko
 Fune hoko
 Iwato yama
Kitakannon yama
Minamikannon yama
Hosho yama
Hakurakuten yama
Yamabushi yama
Moso yama
 Hakuga yama
 Tokusa yama
 Urade yama
Aburatejin yama 
Taishi yama
Hashibenkei yama
 Koi yama
Jomyo yama
Kakkyo yama
Kuronushi yama
Suzuka yama
Hachiman yama
En’nogyōja yama
Ayagasa hoko
Toro yama
Taka yama
 Shijoukasa hoko
Ofune hoko

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.

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