Gion Festival Kyoto
Apr 1st, 2007, 11:05 PM
#2
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Bonjour embassyrom,
I've attended a few times, last 5-6 years ago.
The highlight is of course the float parade on July 17. For the best views, try to get there early (9:30) and find a spot at one of the crossings where they have to turn and there will be lots of action and dances (Shijo-Karasuma, Karasuma-Oike). The best of the best, but you'll be really lucky if you can find a place, is in one of the restaurants in one of the two department stores at the corner of Shijo-Karasuma.
The nights before, the floats are exposed in the streets, all aglow with lanterns, and there's lots of food and souvenirs stalls, as well as huge crowds, strolling happily around, many in their best yukatas (light summer kimono).
The floats belong to merchants and craftmen corporations that assemble them every year about 2 weeks before the festival and dismantle them and store them until the next year. You can watch some being assembled, and some corporations will even let you participate in the festival itself (I know it is open to foreign residents but I'm not sure for tourists).
During the whole festival, all of July, there are many dances and special events in various shinto sanctuaries, many houses are open and expose works of art that can be seen only then.
All in all, it is not to be missed.
I've attended a few times, last 5-6 years ago.
The highlight is of course the float parade on July 17. For the best views, try to get there early (9:30) and find a spot at one of the crossings where they have to turn and there will be lots of action and dances (Shijo-Karasuma, Karasuma-Oike). The best of the best, but you'll be really lucky if you can find a place, is in one of the restaurants in one of the two department stores at the corner of Shijo-Karasuma.
The nights before, the floats are exposed in the streets, all aglow with lanterns, and there's lots of food and souvenirs stalls, as well as huge crowds, strolling happily around, many in their best yukatas (light summer kimono).
The floats belong to merchants and craftmen corporations that assemble them every year about 2 weeks before the festival and dismantle them and store them until the next year. You can watch some being assembled, and some corporations will even let you participate in the festival itself (I know it is open to foreign residents but I'm not sure for tourists).
During the whole festival, all of July, there are many dances and special events in various shinto sanctuaries, many houses are open and expose works of art that can be seen only then.
All in all, it is not to be missed.
Apr 1st, 2007, 11:39 PM
#3
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I've gone once, many years ago. What I remember most was trying to find parking. It was crowded back then, and I imagine it still is. Go early and take a different form of transportation so you won't have to deal with parking.
Apr 2nd, 2007, 01:50 AM
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Bonjour Offlady,
Your post made me chuckle ... I'd never, ever dream of using a car inside a Japanese city, especially on festival day, when there's that marvelous public transportation system.
Years ago, I was staying with elderly friends in Kyoto, and they decided to take me to Nara for the New Year festivities. They wouldn't hear about taking public transportation, especially with me being ill with some cold, and we spent hours)crawling in horrific traffic between Fushimi and Nara, then within Nara between the Daitokuji (great buddah temple) and another temple where prayers were said that were supposed to cure my cold ... I ended up being car-sick on top of getting a severe case of flu.
Your post made me chuckle ... I'd never, ever dream of using a car inside a Japanese city, especially on festival day, when there's that marvelous public transportation system.
Years ago, I was staying with elderly friends in Kyoto, and they decided to take me to Nara for the New Year festivities. They wouldn't hear about taking public transportation, especially with me being ill with some cold, and we spent hours)crawling in horrific traffic between Fushimi and Nara, then within Nara between the Daitokuji (great buddah temple) and another temple where prayers were said that were supposed to cure my cold ... I ended up being car-sick on top of getting a severe case of flu.
Apr 2nd, 2007, 12:13 PM
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What can I say. I was traveling with my cousin and it was her uncle in Osaka who decided to drive us in his car, from Osaka. Traffic was horrendous, and we were stuck on the highway which seemed forever, ended up parking in some residential neighborhood far from the parade route, and had to walk some. However, the neighborhood was quaint with the housefronts looking like a page out of old Japan. We finally made it to the parade, getting there just as the parade ended. Moral of the story is, go early and don't go by car!
