Gion Matsuri

Summertime in Japan is full of festivals and celebrations designed to help you forget about the unbearable heat and humidity. One of the most famous in Kyoto is the Gion Matsuri. It consists of 2 dozen floats (or Yamaboko as they're know - 山鉾) being paraded through the heart of the Shijo area of Kyoto (which is odd when you consider that Gion is on the other side of the river next to Shijo). Each float represents a specific area in the city and people take great pride in decorating them and wearing amazing traditional costumes.　


I had some free time on Tuesday, so I decided to check it out and take a few photos and movies to show you.