The Rakutyu-rakugai-zu Screens(洛中洛外図屏風）

(The left side)

(The right side)


Among the inside of the capital city outskirts of Kyoto figure screens which It drew turnout of Kyoto and the scene of the four seasons on, It is the existence oldest thing. In the one of two points of inside of the capital city outskirts of Kyoto figure screens of the Middle Ages which a national history folk museum possesses, I ask it a person from former storehouse name, and it is done with the "the Machidas book" "the Sanjyou book" under an alias. In the generation of a drawn scene, it is thought with (1525) for Taiei era five years. size@ 138.2*342.8cm
The Gion festival of the 16th century is drawn on this screen. As for the Gion festival drawn here, the big difference does not have "the Yama" and "the hoko" of the pike now. It seems that the Gion festival was almost completed in this time.

Gion-Matsuri Schedule of Events

"Gion-Matusri Schedule of Events"

* July 1 through 5 - Kippuiri, opening ceremony of festival, in each participating neighbourhood







* July 2 - Kujitorishiki, lottery for the parade order, in the municipal assembly hall







* July 7 - Shrine visit by chigo children of Ayagasaboko
* July 10 - Lantern parade to welcome mikoshi portable shrines







* July 10 - Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water from the Kamo River
* July 10 through 13 - Building-up of floats


* July 13 a.m. - Shrine visit by chigo children of Naginataboko
* July 13 p.m. - Shrine visit by chigo children of Kuse Shrine







* July 14 - Yoiyoiyoiyama
* July 15 - Yoiyoiyama







* July 16 - Yoiyama
* July 16 - Yoimiya shinshin hono shinji, dedicative art performances
* July 17 - Parade of yamaboko floats









* July 17 - Parade of mikoshi from Yasaka Shrine to the city
* July 24 - Parade of hanagasa or "flower parasols"
* July 24 - Parade of mikoshi from the city to Yasaka Shrine
* July 28 - Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water from the Kamo river
* July 31 - Closing service at Eki Shrine

Yamaboko(Yamahoko) Float Detail

Yamaboko Float Details


The floats in the Yoiyama Parade are divided into two groups, Hoko and Yama, and are collectively called Yamaboko (or Yamahoko). There are 9 of the larger Hoko (long pole or halberd) which represent the 66 spears used in the original purification ritual, and 23 of the smaller Yama which carry life-size figures of famous and important people. All the floats are decorated with beautiful tapestries both from Nishijin (the finest in all of Japan) and imported from all over the world. In addition to the art, there are many traditional musicians and artists sitting in the floats.
Each year the families that maintain the floats draw lots at a special meeting to determine what order they will take in the festival. These lots are issued at a special ceremony before the parade, during which the Mayor of Kyoto dons the robes of a magister. On the Naginata Hoko is the chigo, a young boy in Shinto robes and crowned by a golden phoenix, chosen from among the Kyoto merchant families as the deity's sacred page. After weeks of special purification ceremonies, during which he lives isolated from contaminating influences such as the presence of women, he is carried atop the float as he is not permitted to touch the ground. The boy must cut a sacred rope (shimenawa) with a single stroke to begin the matsuri.

"Hoko Floats"

Niwatoriboko float, one of the first to begin the parade. At the top, festival-goers take turns getting on the float through a side building.
Weight: about 12,000 kg
Height: about 25m from ground to tip / 8 m from ground to roof
Wheel diameter: about 1.9 m
Attendants: about 30-40 pulling during procession, usually 2 men piloting with wedges

"Yama Floats"

Height: about 6 m
Weight: 1,200 – 1,600 kg
Attendants: 14-24 people to pull, push or carry

The Gion Festival Screens

About The Gion Festival Screens
Festivals have been important to people since the Stone Age. Why do you think this is? Perhaps it is related to what is special about being human. Humans used to be called "animals that play" or "animals that use tools." If you think about it, however, you will realize that other animals "play" and "use tools," so these descriptions are no longer acceptable. The only "animals that have festivals," however, are people. Therefore, having festivals can be thought of as a uniquely "human" behavior. There are various types of festivals, but they almost always seem to include some kind of procession. Participants in these processions might walk, run or dance. The festival of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the Gujo Odori Festival at Gujo Hachiman Shrine in Gifu, Japan, are famous because everyone staying up all night dancing! One of the Three Great Festivals in Japan is the Gion Festival in Kyoto. The parade for this festival is probably the most beautiful and elegant procession in all of Japan. Even if you never see the real thing, you can get an idea of what the Gion Festival looks like from a pair of folding screen paintings in the Kyoto National Museum called The Gion Festival Before we discuss these screens, let's talk a little more about the Gion Festival itself. The Gion Festival started in the year 869 A.D. (Jogan 11 by the Japanese calendar). Just one hundred years before, the capital of Japan had moved from Nara to Kyoto. In this same year 869, a great epidemic illness, or plague, spread throughout the Capital causing much death and suffering. In those days, people thought that plagues were the fault of humans who were not living a clean and hygienic life. They thought that plagues were an expression of the gods' anger. In order to end this plague, they thought that they must pacify the angry gods, and thus they created the Gion Festival. Another name for this festival is the Gion Ceremony for the Holy Spirits, showing its religious roots. The first year the festival was held, participants carried sixty-six large halberds (spears) in the procession. Over time, these evolved into floats with tall spear-like spires on the roofs. These floats are called yama (which also means "mountain") and hoko (which also means "spear"). These are the floats used in the Gion Festival parade today. The Gion Festival was held every year after 869 until it was interrupted by the Onin War in the 1460s, during the medieval period. After the fighting ended, the people of Kyoto decided that as they rebuilt the city, they also wanted to improve the Gion Festival. Before the war, the festival had been much like a formal, government ceremony. After the Onin War, however, the festival became more of a celebration for Kyoto's new, flourishing businesses. The businesses were run by merchants, and the Gion Festival became a festival organized, executed, and attended by merchants. The Onin War had revealed the true character of the haughty upper-classes, and as a result, much of their power was transfered to the merchants. The Gion Festival became a symbol of the merchant class's new strength and vitality. Many merchants wanted works of art that pictured their new-found prosperity, so numerous screen paintings were made of the Gion Festival.

Kakkyo-Yama-Cho(Town) Introduction

大きな地図で見る

Kakkyo-yama town's introduction.
Kakkyo-yama to a four-rowed Kakkyo-yama town is Hankyu train about four minutes walk from Karasuma Station. Karasuma Kyoto Municipal Subway four-rowed about four minutes walk from the station. "Eve or Festival" and watch, I think this is convenient transportation.

"Kan-Ko-Sai" Gion-Festiｖal (還幸祭）

During「中御座」(hexagonal [SUSANOWONOMIKOTO]), Eastern「東御座」(quadrangle [KUSHIINADAHIMENOMIKOTO]), West「西御座」(octagon [YAHASHIRANOMIKOGAMI])　”MIKOSHI"「神輿」three groups, and youth「東若御座」east of the shrine parishioner area is　”MIKOSHI"「神輿」parade.

July 10　”MIKOSHI" washing ceremony of the 15th Festival of　”EVE"「宵宮」UTSUSHITA　”MIKOSHI"「神輿」through to the Holy Spirit, will be decorated floats in the July 17 evening departure Yasaka Shrine, mainly　eastern Kamogawa,Kawaramati street and the Teramati "OTABI"「御旅所」the night on a four-rowed.「花傘」Hana-Gasa's parade will be stayed until the 24th, 24th of the evening coming from the area around wetern Teramati expert, returns to Yasaka Shrine late at night.

His main hall from the Holy Spirit "KAN-KO-SAI" after a 28-day waiting "MIKOSHI"「神輿」washing,"MIKOSHI"「神輿」event ends.