Gion Matsuri

The Gion Matsuri consisted of 3 nights of walking the streets of downtown Kyoto, viewing platform like floats, tasting some of the treats from the hundreds of vendors, and dressing up in yukatas. This festival is older than many countries, and about five times older than my own, which probably doesn't even begin to put things into perspective.







It all ended on the fourth day, in which all of the floats got paraded along the streets starting at about 11 a.m., with people leaving behind work, school, plenty of other obligations to go watch. Luckily our school had long expected the Gion Matsuri, and cancelled all classes after 10:30.

You will notice, these floats aren't motor-powered, but pulled by a huge group of people. Some friends from my program signed up and got into one of the group, but unfortunately this video isn't of any of them.


Most of us foreign students wanted to get in on the act of wearing yukatas, so we all found some pretty cheap ones on the backstreets of Kyoto. This yukata, the belt, and the fan cost me a total of $20, and if you don't know those sunglasses, you don't me either.


This festival was an eye opener to a lot of things I've seen over and over here but didn't give much thought to. They are things I'd rather devote entire entries to, so next time or the time after that, or even the time after that one. Who knows....