Former Festival Yoiyama of Gion Matsuri

The information of Former Festival Yoiyama is presented here. Former Festival Yoiyama is three days from July 14th to July 16th. In the evening of Yoiyama, Komagata-chochin (paper lanterns) are lit on 23 Yamahoko floats, and Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) is played on Yamahoko floats with Hayashi-kata (music group). The site of Yoiyama is yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town), which is lined with 23 Yamahoko floats. Yoiyama is affected by the day of the week and the weather, but the number of people increases from around noon, and it becomes very crowded after evening.

• Former Festival Yoiyama Schedule 2024
• Former Festival Yoiyama map ＆ access
• Former Festival Yoiyama brief overview

【Former Festival Yoiyama Schedule 2024 (confirmation required)】

Former Festival Yoiyama 2024 will be held from Sunday, July 14th to Tuesday, July 16th, 2024. On Monday, July 15th and Tuesday, July 16th, food stalls will be open and the area will be a pedestrian zone from 18:00. The opening hours of the food stalls are not constant, and some food stalls are open from around noon.
By the way, Latter Festival Yoiyama 2024 will be held from Sunday, July 21st to Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024.
Gion Matsuri Festival Schedule (July 1st-31st)

【Former Festival Yoiyama map ＆ access】

Address: Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

★The nearest stations are Shijo Station on the subway Karasuma Line and Karasuma Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line, and the nearest bus stop is Shijo Karasuma.

【Former Festival Yoiyama of Gion Matsuri brief overview】

Former Festival Yoiyama (宵山（前祭）) of Gion Matsuri is a small festival held before Shinko-sai (portable shrine procession) on July 17th. Yoiyama is held from July 14th to July 16th, also known as Yoiyoiyoiyama on July 14th, Yoiyoiyama on July 15th, and Yoiyama on July 16th.
Yoiyama is the most popular part of Gion Matsuri Festival (Gion Festival) and can be more crowded than Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko, depending on the day of the week and the weather. Especially on July 15th and July 16th, when the food stalls line the streets and the streets become a pedestrian Paradise in the evening, July 15th and 16th can be very crowded. Yoiyama is held in yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town), where 23 Yamahoko floats line the streets. The area of Shijo-dori from Higashinotoin-dori on the east side to Aburakouji-dori on the west side (north and south).
●Hoko (鉾) : Naginata Hoko, Kanko Hoko, Niwatori Hoko, Kikusui Hoko, Tsuki Hoko, Hoka Hoko
●Hikiyama (曳山) : Iwato Yama
●Funehoko (船鉾) : Fune Hoko
●Kasahoko (傘鉾) : Shijokasa Hoko, Ayakasa Hoko
●Kakiyama (舁山) : Yamabushi Yama, Hakurakuten Yama, Ashikari Yama, Kakkyo Yama, Tokusa Yama, Aburatenjin Yama, Moso Yama, Araretenjin Yama, Hosho Yama, Taishi Yama, Hakuga Yama, Toro Yama, Urade Yama

★In the evening of Yoiyama, Komagata-chochin (paper lanterns) are lit on 23 Yamahoko floats, and Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) is played by hayashi-kata (music group) of Naginata Hoko, Kanko Hoko, Tsuki Hoko, Fune Hoko, Niwatori Hoko, Hoka Hoko, Kikusui Hoko, Iwato Yama, Shijokasa Hoko and Ayakasa Hoko. Shijokasa Hoko and Ayakasa Hoko also perform Bofuri-odori (dance). The time and interval of the performance varies according to yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town). On July 16th, the last day of Yoiyama, Hiyori-Kagura is held. At Hiyori-Kagura, hayashi-kata (music group) of Yamahoko floats dedicate Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) at Shijo Otabisho to pray for good weather on July 17th, when Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko and Shinko-sai are held.
★Children dressed in yukata (light cotton kimono) sing warabe-uta (children’s songs) while selling chimaki (yakuyoke-chimaki) and other items, allowing visitors to enjoy not only Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) but also warabe-uta. If you purchase chimaki (yakuyoke-chimaki) and other items, you may also be allowed to board and observe yamahoko floats. However, women are not allowed to board Naginata Hoko and Hoka Hoko. (Confirmation required)
★While touring around yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town), visitors can not only enjoy Yamahoko floats, but also collect red seals (stamps) and view the decorations of the kaisho (meeting hall) in yamahoko-cho. Visitors can also enjoy Byoubu-matsuri in yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town).
★Food stalls are set up on July 15th and 16th of the three days of Yoiyama. The location of food stalls is on the streets that run north and south, such as Karasuma-dori (Sanjo-dori to Takoyakushi-dori), Muromachi-dorit (Yamabushi Yama to Hakurakuten Yama), and Shinmachi-dori (Hoka Hoko to Iwato Yama). The opening hours of the food stalls are not constant, and some food stalls are open from around noon.
★Pedestrian Paradise (traffic control) is held on July 15th and 16th of the three days of Yoiyama. The hours of Pedestrian Paradise are from 18:00 to 23:00 except for some streets. The area of Pedestrian Paradise includes Shijo-dori (Higashioji-dori to Horikawa-dori), Karasuma-dori (Oike-dori to Takatsuji-dori), Muromachi-dori (Sanjo-dori to Takatsuji-dori), Shinmachi-dori (Takoyakushi-dori to Takatsuji-dori) and other streets. Of the streets on Shijo-dori, the streets from Shijo Karasuma to Shijo Muromachi are sometimes as crowded as a crowded train.
★It is said that Yoiyama began holding Byoubu-matsuri and Kaisho-kazari from around the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868), when rosoku (candles) and chochin (lanterns) became popular with the general public. In the Edo period, rosoku (candles) were an expensive and valuable item. “Yamaboko Yuraiki”, published in 1757 in the middle of the Edo period, describes Byoubu-matsuri and Kaisho-kazari. It describes how during Byoubu-matsuri, many chochin (lanterns) were lit in towns and houses were decorated with gold and silver byoubu (folding screens) to invite guests. It describes how during Kaisho-kazari, dolls and treasures were displayed, and many nobles and townspeople came to visit.

【Komagata-chochin (paper lanterns)】
Komagata-chochin (paper lanterns) are lit on Yamahoko floats and others during Yoiyama. The name “Komagata-chochin” is said to be derived from the overall shape of the bale-shaped lanterns connected vertically and horizontally, which resemble shogi (Japanese chess) pieces. Komagata-chochin vary in shape, size, color, pattern, and characters, and are unique to each yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town). However, since Gion Matsuri Festival is a festival held at Yasaka Shrine, Komagata-chochin use the sacred crests of Yasaka Shrine, such as “Hidari-Mitsudomoe” and “Goka-ni-Karahana”, and the characters “Go-Shinto” are written. According to the oral tradition of the town’s elders, the design of the “Chou (長)” in Naginata Hoko (長刀鉾) is based on a character written by Oda Nobunaga in his own handwriting when he donated something to Naginata Hoko-cho (town) during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603). It is also said that Oda Nobunaga was left-handed. Komagata-chochin (paper lanterns) are made by Takahashi Choton, which was founded in 1730, Okugawa Choton, which was founded at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868), and others. Incidentally, all Komagata-chochin (paper lanterns) were converted from electric bulbs to fluorescent bulbs in 2008. The number of Komagata-chochin (paper lanterns) lit in Yoiyama also varies by yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town).

【Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music)】
Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) is also affectionately known as “Konchikichin”. It is said that Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) began to be played at the end of the Muromachi period (1333-1573), inspired by Nohgaku (Sarugaku (Noh and Kyogen)), and was arranged in its present form during the Edo period (1603-1868). Although some parts of Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) are common to yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town), most of them are unique to each yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town). Yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town) has a distinctive sound and consists of suri-kane (gongs), which produce a unique tone and rhythm, fue (flutes), which play the melody, and shime-taiko (drums), which control the tempo and the entire performance. It is said that the lively Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) played during Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade) has the function of luring and attracting evil spirits, believed to be the source of plague, and bringing them back to yamahoko-cho (yamahoko town) to be sealed in a storehouse. Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music) is broadly divided into songs played during Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade) from the starting point (Shijo Karasuma) to Shijo Kawaramachi (nearest Yasaka Shrine) and songs played at other times. The former is a majestic and solemn song, while the latter is a a fast-paced, light and beautiful song. The former is called “ji-bayashi”, “watari-bayashi”, and “watari”, and the latter is called “modori-bayashi”, and “modori”.

【Former Festival Yoiyama of Gion Matsuri remarks】
*Events may be rescheduled or cancelled. Also, the content of the event may have changed.
祇園祭2025日程一覧（宵山屋台・山鉾巡行・・・）