Size matters when it comes to festivals and the Gion Matsuri is easily the largest in Japan. Held in Kyoto through the month of July, it marks the culmination of months of preparation by thousands of volunteers and attracts between 500,000 and 800,000 people every year.
According to most accounts, the festival dates back to 869, when a ritual was held to end the epidemic raging in Kyoto.
But, by then, disasters had been pounding Japan for over half a century, with wave after wave of epidemics sweeping the country, not to mention poor harvests, famine and social unrest.
On top of that, Mount Fuji erupted in 864 and a major earthquake and tsunami hit in 869 - something clearly had to be done.
Kyoto's Gion Festival: 1,100 Years of History
Divine intervention was sought from three deities enshrined at the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. By imperial decree, they were transported in mikoshi - portable shrines - to the imperial garden of Shinsen-en to pacify the angry spirits thought to be behind the disasters. Accompanying the shrines were boys carrying 66 halberds to represent the provinces of Japan.
This led to similar pacification ceremonies being held at Yasaka Shrine, then known as Gion-sha, on an annual basis. The mikoshi were carried, not to the garden, but through the streets of Kyoto to purify the capital. Floats were later introduced, with their masts evoking the 66 halberds.
The following centuries brought many more changes - it was not always an annual event - and the festival continues to evolve to this day in response to shifting demographics and other factors.
Yet prayer and purification remain at the heart of the Gion Matsuri, also known as Gion-e (祇園会). Perhaps the more accurate name, it derives from goryo-e (御霊会), rituals conducted to appease vengeful spirits in the hope of warding off illness and misfortune.
The highlight of the Gion festival may be the Saki Matsuri and Ato Matsuri processions but the floats are essentially to clear the way for the headliners - the gods themselves - when they go into town and leave again.
If you're planning a trip to Japan in summer, consider spending at least part of July in Kyoto. Yes, there are other festivals in Kyoto - many of them - and other festivals in Japan - many, many of them - but none of them is quite like Kyoto's Gion Matsuri.
The festival features a whole month of events. Below is a guide to the highlights to Gion-e, one of the most storied of Japanese festivals.
Gion Matsuri Festival Schedule
July 1-18: Kippu-iri 吉符入り
Float neighborhood associations hold private ceremonies to pray for the success of the festival rites.
July 1: Naginatahoko-cho Osendo 長刀鉾町お千度 (10am)
The boy who has been chosen as that year’s chigo, or celestial child, and his two child attendants - kamuro - visit Yasaka Shrine to report to the gods that they have been selected for the roles. They then pray for the safe conclusion of the month-long ritual that is the Gion-e.
Essentially a vessel for the divine, the chigo rides in the Naginata Hoko, always the first float in the Saki Matsuri parade. He cuts a sacred rope with a sword - one of the highlights of the festival.
The shimenawa stretched across Shijo-dori, the main avenue in central Kyoto, represents the boundary between the secular and sacred worlds. Once the rope is cut, the festival floats can enter the realm of the gods and the procession can begin.
July 1-11: Nikai Bayashi 二階囃子
Gion bayashi - Gion music - is played in the evenings on the second floor, or nikai, of the traditional townhouses where the float associations have their headquarters.
One of the most memorable parts of the Gion festival, the sounds of the Japanese flutes, gongs and drums linger in your head even after you leave.
If you head to the area just west of the Shijo-Karasuma junction on these nights, you may hear otherworldly strains drifting down from above.
Bright music mingling with the shadows on the street - a tantalizing preview of what the Gion Matsuri offers.
July 2: Kujitori Shiki くじ取り式
A lottery presided over by the mayor of Kyoto is conducted at Kyoto City Hall to determine the order of the floats in the processions.
The festival is divided into the Saki Matsuri - Early Festival - and Ato Matsuri, or Later Festival, with different floats for each procession.
July 10-14: Saki Matsuri Yamahoko-tate 前祭山鉾建て
The festival atmosphere builds as the floats take shape, bound only by ropes and centuries of craft. Look out for the rope pattern that resembles a butterfly, considered auspicious in Japan.
If your schedule allows, return periodically to watch as pieces of wood are transformed into structures as high as 25m.
July 10: Omukae Chochin お迎え提灯 (16:30-21:00) and Mikoshi Arai 神輿洗 (20:00)
In the Mikoshi Arai ceremony, one of the three portable shrines that will be transported to downtown Kyoto in a week's time is purified with river water.
The mikoshi that holds the spirit of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the main deity of Yasaka Shrine, is taken from the shrine to Shijo Ohashi bridge, where water from the Kamogawa is sprinkled on it.
Prior to this, lantern-bearers, musicians and dancers leave the shrine and head to Kyoto City Hall, where they perform.
The Omukae Chochin procession then returns to Yasaka Shrine, where they welcome the mikoshi and offer up performances to the gods.
July 12: Saki Matsuri Hikizome 前祭山鉾曳き初め・山舁き初め
The floats are pulled in a trial run. As a general guide, here are the starting times for the larger floats in 2025: Kanko Hoko (14:00), Niwatori Hoko (14:30), Kikusui Hoko and Tsuki Hoko (15:00) and Naginata Hoko (15:30).
Cancellations or date and time changes may take place without notice.
July 14-16: Saki Matsuri Yoiyama 前祭宵山 and Byobu Matsuri 屏風祭
The streets of downtown Kyoto come alive with the illuminated floats and the hypnotic music from their ensembles.
The Gion Matsuri may have begun as a religious observance but, over the centuries, it became a way for the merchants of the capital to assert their identity.
In a spirit of rivalry that still exists, the different neighborhoods secured treasures such as carpets and tapestries from distant lands to decorate their float.
This legacy can be viewed up close during the Yoiyama night festival - see if you can spot the Chinese sages and Greek pagan spirits.
During the event, some families living in the area also open up the front of their machiya houses to let passers-by enjoy antique folding screens and other heirlooms normally hidden from public view.
Known informally as the Byobu Matsuri - Folding Screen Festival - this blurring of the line between private and public space distinguishes the Gion festival from other matsuri in Kyoto.
July 17: Saki Matsuri Yamahoko Junko 前祭山鉾巡行 (9:00)
To most people, this is the main event of the Gion festival. Thousands gather to watch as lavishly decorated floats are pulled through the streets by teams of volunteers.
The larger floats carry the Gion bayashi musicians. It is believed that evil spirits are drawn to the lively sounds - by going through the city, the floats attract the spirits and seal them away when the floats return to their warehouses.
The festival may be held in the human world but everywhere there are reminders that the Gion Matsuri takes place in the realm of spirit.
July 17: Shinko-sai 神幸祭 (16:00)
Deities leave Yasaka Shrine, carried in gilded mikoshi over the river to spend a week with the people of Kyoto.
The three mikoshi follow different routes and arrive at Otabisho, their temporary shrine, at different times. While they reside there, silent pilgrimages can be made: it is said that if you walk in silence from Shijo Ohashi bridge to the temporary shrine every night of this week, your wishes will come true.
July 16: Tea Ceremony Dedication 献茶祭 (9:00)
The grandmaster of the Urasenke chado school makes an offering of matcha at Yasaka Shrine.
July 18-21: Ato Matsuri Yamahoko-tate 後祭山鉾建て
In the quieter lanes of central Kyoto, a second wave of floats rises.
July 21-23: Ato Matsuri Yoiyama 後祭宵山
Compared with the 23 floats of the Early Festival, the Later Festival has only 11 - and smaller ones at that.
This may be why the Ato Matsuri feels more relaxed and closer to a community event than a tourist attraction. This part of the festival is highly recommended for those who wish to enjoy the Gion Matsuri as the townspeople did in the old days.
July 24: Ato Matsuri Yamahoko Junko 後祭山鉾巡行 (9:30), Hanagasa Junko (10:00–11:30), Kankosai 還幸祭 (17:00)
Revived in 2014 after a 49-year break, the Ato Matsuri procession aptly features a boat-shaped float - the Ofune Hoko - which commemorates a triumphant return.
Devised as a substitute during the hiatus, the Hanagasa Junko continues to delight visitors from all over Japan. In this parade, child dancers and young women wearing flower hats - hanagasa - weave through the city from the Seitoku Gakusha campus of Shimogyo Junior High School to Yasaka Shrine.
The gods ride back to Yasaka Shrine in the late afternoon - the Kankosai ritual pulsates with raw energy as men rock the mikoshi up and down, chanting all the while.
To experience the power of the rite, find a viewing spot along the section of Shijo-dori that runs through the Gion area to Yasaka Shrine.
July 28: Mikoshi Arai 神輿洗 (20:00)
In the evening, a mikoshi is again purified with river water at Shijo Ohashi before the portable shrines are put away for another year.
July 31: Eki Jinja Nagoshi-sai 疫神社夏越祭
The final ritual of the festival takes place at Eki Jinja, a sub-shrine of Yasaka Shrine.
Millet cakes are offered to Somin Shorai, a legendary figure who served millet porridge to a god in disguise.
The grateful deity instructed Somin and his family to wear reed wreaths so that they would be marked out as those to be spared in a coming epidemic. For this reason, a large ring of reeds is tied to the shrine's torii gate for visitors to pass through and pray for good health.
Getting to the Gion Matsuri
Making your way to the festival can be tricky once the road closures begin. Bus services may be rerouted or suspended altogether and taxis may be able to drop you off only at some distance from the float area.
Rail is your best bet - don't try to cycle; there are simply too many people on the streets.
Before heading out, check the official Gion Matsuri website for Kyoto travel guidelines as well as maps showing the float locations and procession routes. The maps can be downloaded during the festival period.
Tips for Enjoying the Festival
Paid seating: If you're attending the Gion festival and plan to view the July 17 and 24 float processions, it's worth paying for a seat to avoid the crowds on the sidewalks.
Ticketing information for the seating areas that Kyoto city has created can be found at the official Gion Matsuri website.
The show will go on, regardless of weather. At the 2025 Gion festival, July 17 - the day of the Early Festival - was pouring with rain but the float-pullers soldiered on to the finish line.
Etiquette: While the Gion festival is a vibrant street event, much of it takes place in residential areas with narrow roads.
To make the festival one that both visitors and residents can enjoy, walk in single file so that traffic can pass easily. Remember to keep your voice down, especially at night.
What to wear: It's tempting to go in shorts and sleeveless tops because of the heat but covering your arms and legs in light fabrics will actually keep you cooler.
If you would like to wear yukata, check the kimono material for breathability.
Opt for comfortable footwear as you will have to cover several blocks to view the floats.
What to bring: Uchiwa or other hand-held fans will help with the heat.
Don't forget to rehydrate - be sure to bring a water bottle. You may like to freeze a plastic bottle filled with water or sports drink and wrap it in a small towel. The bottle can act as an ice pack to prevent heatstroke and when the contents melt, you will have a perfectly chilled drink.
What to buy: Chimaki to ward off illness and other calamities. Just about every float will have a booth where you can buy these handmade talismans.
Kyoto Station also has a good selection of Gion Matsuri souvenirs. If you miss the chance to pick up a talisman, stop by the station for festival confectionery and other treats.