Hello everyone, this is KOTO Kyoto.
“Gion Matsuri” is starting on 1st July.
The Yamahoko parade was canceled by pandemic also this year, but they managed to build floats in 18 of the 34 locations for the first time in two years.
The Yamahoko floats will start on 10th July every year. It is built by a technique called “Nawa(rope) garami”, which is built only with wood and rope without using any nails.
The best part of see the finished floats, but it's also quite spectacular to observe the work of this assembly.
The parades of the floats are decided by the lottery every year, but “Naginata-boko” always takes the lead every year as "Kuji-torazu(without taking the lottery)".
And it is the only float on which a child ”Chigo” rides, and during the parade, a child dance “Chigo-Mai” is performed every time the town name changes.
The child in the orange kimono in the middle of this photo is “Chigo”.
When you come to Kyoto in July, you should definitely check out the yamahoko floats.
When this hoko float is built and a unique fushimawashi(intonation) of “Konchikichin”, the festive music known as Gion bayashi is played, the summer of Kyoto will be in full swing.