Gion Matsuri (Yamaboko Junko Float Procession)
Kyoto's grandest festival fills July with towering wooden floats, lantern-lit evening parties, and 1,100 years of tradition.
When · Where
- When
- 2026/07/17 – 2026/07/17
- Where
- Yasaka Shrine & central Kyoto streets（625 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto）
- City
- Kyoto
- Getting there
- Right at Gion-Shijo Stn (Keihan Line)
- Price
- Free
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Right at Gion-Shijo Stn (Keihan Line) Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, families, groups of friends
Highlights
- Massive yamaboko floats turning street corners by hand
- Yoiyama evening festivals (Jul 14-16) with food stalls and lanterns
- Floats decorated with Belgian tapestries and gold leaf
Background & story
Held since 869 as a purification ritual to ward off plague, Gion Matsuri is one of Japan's three great festivals and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Good to know
The Yoiyama nights before the parade are when the city center pedestrianizes and feels most alive — go early evening to beat the crowds.