- Home
- Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko of Gion Matsuri (July 24th, 2024)
Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko of Gion Matsuri (July 24th, 2024)
Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko of Gion Matsuri
The information of Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade) is presented here. Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko is the highlight of Gion Matsuri Festival. Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko is held every year on July 24th. Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko route starts at Karasuma-Oike, and goes along Oike-dori, Kawaramachi-dori, and Shijo-dori in that order. In Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko, kuji-aratame is held in front of Kyoto City Hall, and tsuji-mawashi is held at Kawaramachi-Oike and Shijo-Kawaramachi.
- Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko 2024 Schedule
- Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko route & map
- Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko brief overview
【Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko 2024 Schedule (confirmation required)】
Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko 2024 will depart from Karasuma-Oike at 9:30, on Wednesday, July 24th, 2024. ●Gion Matsuri Festival 2024 will start on July 1st, 2024 and end on July 31st, 2024.
●Gion Matsuri Festival 2024 will start on July 1st, 2024 and end on July 31st, 2024.
Gion Matsuri Festival Schedule (July 1st-31st)
【Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko route & map】
Timetable : Departure from Karasuma-Oike (9:30) → Kawaramachi-Oike (around 10:00) → Shijo-Kawaramachi (around 10:40) → Arrival at Shijo-Karasuma (around 11:20)
★Nearest station to Karasuma-Oike : Subway Karasuma-Oike Station (about 2 minutes on foot)
【Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko of Gion Matsuri brief overview】
Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko (Float Procession, Yamaboko Parade, 山鉾巡行(後祭)) is the highlight of Gion Matsuri Festival (祇園祭). Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko has been permanently held on July 24th since 1877, along with Kanko-sai (還幸祭, Okaeri, おかえり). In Kanko-sai, three mikoshi (portable shrines) are driven from Shijo Otabisho through the ujiko (parishioner) district to Yasaka Shrine via Matabisho (Gokusho). The route of Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko was changed to the current route in 1961.
Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko is held before Kanko-sai which is held on the evening of July 24th, to purify the city and streets. In Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko, 11 Yamahoko floats, led by Hashibenkei Yama, depart from Karasuma-Oike in the order determined by Kujitori-shiki on July 2nd, and proceed in the order of Oike-dori, Kawaramachi-dori and Shijo-dori.
Yamahoko floats with hayashi-kata (music group) play gion-bayashi (gion matsuri music). Afterwards, kuji-aratame is held in front of Kyoto City Hall, and tsuji-mawashi with large Yamahoko floats is held at the intersection of Kawaramachi-Oike and Shijo-Kawaramachi. On Kawaramachi-dori, maiko receive chimaki to ward off bad luck from yamahoko-cho officials, and sometimes offering sake in exchange.
On the morning of July 24th, which is held Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko, Hanagasa-Junko (花傘巡行) is also held. In Hanagasa-Junko, a procession of hanamachi (kagai) stalls, hanagasa, kodomo mikoshi (portable children’s shrines), gion dengaku, shishimai, sagimai, chigomusha, umaosachigo, and others parade from Shimogyo Junior High School Seitoku Building to Yasaka Shrine along Takatsuji-dori, Karasuma-dori and Shijo-dori. Two Hanamachi (Kagai) participate in Hanagasa-Junko every other year and dedicate Kabuki Odori (Ponto-cho), Komachi Odori (Gion Higashi), Suzume Odori (Gion Kobu), and Konchiki Ondo (Miyagawa-cho).
●Order in 2023: 1-Hashibenkei Yama, 2-Minamikannon Yama, 3-Jomyo Yama, 4-Hachiman Yama, 5-Koi Yama, 6-Kitakannon Yama, 7-Kuronushi Yama, 8-Ennogyoja Yama, 9-Suzuka Yama, 10-Taka Yama, 11-Ofune Hoko
★Yamahoko floats are classified by shape as hoko (鉾), hikiyama (曳山), funehoko (船鉾), kasahoko (傘鉾), and kakiyama (舁山), with the larger hoko, hikiyama, and funahoko having wheels. Hikiyama floats stand shinmatsu (pine tree or cedar tree) and are about 15 meters high. Funehoko is shaped like a ship and, unlike hoko, does not have a shingi (pillar). There are no hoko and kasaboko floats in Yamaboko floats of Latter Festival.
★In 1500, when the order of Yamahoko-Junko was decided, Hashibenkei Yama secured the privilege of being the only small Yamahoko to parade the front without the kuji (lottery), although the reason is not clear. In 1872, Hashibenkei Yama handed over the lead to Kitakannon Yama, but in 2012, Hashibenkei Yama returned to the lead when the last parading Ofune Hoko was revived. It is said that Hashibenkei Yama appeared together with Koi Yama in the kyogen “Kujizainin” where the townspeople of the Muromachi period (1336-1573) discussed Gion Matsuri Festival, and that it was already founded in the Muromachi period.
★Large Yamahoko floats such as Kitakannon Yama, Minamikannon Yama, Taka Yama and Ofune Hoko. Ondo-tori directs hiki-kata with uchiwa (fan) and ondo to the float parade and tsuji-mawashi. Kuruma-kata uses burateko and kakeya to change the direction of the procession and to apply the brakes. In tsuji-mawashi, kuruma-kata places sasara (green bamboo) or other materials on the road and pours water over them. Hiki-kata pulls Yamahoko floats.
★Gion-bayashi (Gion Matsuri music, 祇園囃子) is played by Kitakannon Yama, Minamikannon Yama, Taka Yama and Ofune Hoko. Gion-bayashi is composed of kane (gongs), fue (flutes), and taiko (drums). Some parts of gion-bayashi are common to all yamahoko floats, but most of gion-bayashi is unique to each Yamahoko float.
★Kuji-aratame (くじ改め) is carried out with Jomyo Yama, Hachiman Yama, Koi Yama, Kuronushi Yama, Ennogyoja Yama and Suzuka Yama, except for Yamahoko floats which do not take the kuji (lottery). In kuji-aratame, the machi-gyoji (town magistrate) of Yamahoko Town uses a folding fan to open the letter box containing the kuji (lottery), opens the lid, and presents the kuji (lottery) to the bugyo (mayor of Kyoto City). The bugyo (mayor of Kyoto City) reads out and confirms the order of the kuji (lottery), and the machi-gyoji (town magistrate) steps back and invites the floats with a folding fan. Yamahoko floats that do not take the kuji (lottery), only greet the bugyo (magistrate, mayor of Kyoto City), and Kakiyama floats rotate.
★Tsuji-mawashi (辻回し) is carried out with Kitakannon Yama, Minamikannon Yama, Taka Yama and Ofune Hoko. At tsuji-mawashi, green bamboo is spread on the road, water is sprinkled on it, a rope is pulled from the side several times, and Yamahoko floats is turned 90 degrees.
★Hanagasa-Junko was started in 1967 to replace Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko on July 24th when Former Festival Yamahoko-Junko on July 17th and Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko on July 24th were held together on July 17th. Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko was restored in 2014, but Hanagasa-Junko continued without being canceled.
【Latter Festival Yamahoko-Junko 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・・・)