We YUMEYAKATA conduct “Gion Festival (祇園祭り) Tour with Ms. Beniko, a Former Maiko” every year, and it has become very popular among our customers. The other day, the tour of Sakimatsuri (前祭り, the first half Festival) has been successfully finished. The participants in YUMEYATA’s pretty Yukata (浴衣, summer cotton Kimono) visited many Yamaboko (山鉾, floats of Gion festival), get on Iwatoyama (岩戸山) float, and learned about the history of Gion festival together. Everyboody had a great time.

I love Gion Festival a lot. Especially, I like the atomosphere of the festival at night. It comes alive more and more all through the evening along with the sound of Gion bayashi (祇園囃子, Gion festival music unique to each float and community).

The intersting thing is that each float has its origin in a myth or a story: Iwatoyama has its origin in the myth of Amanoiwato (天岩戸伝説, the myth of Amaterasu Ohmikami, the god of sunshine), Hoshoyama (保昌山) which provides amulets for relationship is built based on the love story of Mr. Hosho (保昌), a sumurai, and Izumi shikibu (和泉式部), a court maid/an auther in the Heian (平安) period. Toroyama (蟷螂山) famous for its mechanical figure of a mantis is the lucky one since it won the first position at the Kujitorishiki (くじ取り式, the ceremony for deciding the order of the procession). The view of lit lanterens is very beautiful. This is the best time to enjoy the summer in Kyoto.

Why don’t you join our tour? We still have the tour for Atomatsuri (後祭り, the latter half festival) on July 22 and 23. The tour starts at our Oike (御池) branch. Please click the URL below for more details.

https://www.kyoto-information.yumeyakata.com/gionmatsuri-tour-19

Tour overview

Enjoy the atomosphere of Gion Festival (the latter half)
When: Monday and Tuesday, July 22 and 23, 2019
Meeting Place: YUMEYAKATA Oike Villa
Fee: 6000 yen plus tax (Yukata rental included)
2500 yen plus tax (Without Yukata rental)
*For ladies, free gift of Yukata

Akane Kibune
Kyoto Certification 1st Grade

#English #Kyotoexpertcertification