The Gion Festival is the highlight of the Yasaka Shrine festival, and the Yamahoko Junko (float procession) was viewed as the Mae-matsuri (pre-matsuri).

 Konchikichin, Konchikichin♪ and the sound of festival music can be heard…

The weather is nice and sunny in the morning.

It’s going to be extremely hot…

Today, I visited the “Learning Seat,” which was explained by Mr. Ryo Wakamura, a university junior and the representative of Rakutabi, a company that has greatly expanded its business centering on tourism in Kyoto and is now very popular in the media.

We sat on the bleachers on Oike Dori…

Thankfully, the south side is shaded to beat the heat. Thankfully, the south side was shaded to beat the heat…a good seat.

Junichi Yamamura, my colleague and co-chairman, was guiding another group.

After a while, I saw him.

Naginataboko,” which always stands at the head of the procession every year.

This is the only float on which live children ride.

Mr. Wakamura’s commentary was easy to understand, exquisite, and very informative…

If you are interested in learning about Kyoto, I recommend the Kyoto Raku Lecture in “Raku-tabi”.

You will become a “Kyoto expert” in no time.

There are 23 floats, the most gorgeous of which is the “Funaboko”, in which Empress Jingu and the three deities of Isora, Sumiyoshi, and Kashima are enshrined.

It was a good day to see this Gion Festival, an intangible cultural heritage.

I am grateful for the opportunity!