The Gion Festival in Kyoto is one of the three major festivals in Japan and has a history of more than 1,000 years. It is a Shinto ritual held at Yasaka Shrine (Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture) to pray for the repelling of an epidemic, and various festivals are held at Yasaka Shrine and other locations in Kyoto City during the month of July from July 1 to 31 every year. The highlight of the festival is the parade of 34 floats (23 for the Mae-matsuri and 11 for the Goto-matsuri) on July 17 and 24, and the Mikoshi-togyo (portable shrine procession) at Yasaka Shrine.
Yoiyama is the general term for the three days before, the two days before, and the day before the Yamaboko procession (July 17 and 24). It is a time when the Komagata lanterns of each Yamaboko town are lit and Gion music is played from the floats, creating a lively atmosphere.

During Yoiyama, each Yamahoko will offer Hachimaki and Goshuin (red seals), as well as display their precious treasures such as gorgeous ornaments and gojintai (sacred objects) that are hung on pedestals during the Yamahoko procession. Twenty-three floats will be erected in the city for the Mae-matsuri and 11 for the Goto-matsuri, so be sure to check out and visit the floats that interest you.
⚫︎前祭の宵山期間（7/14〜16）
Nagatohoko, Hakodani-hoko, Kikoko-hoko, Kikusui-hoko, Tsukihoko, Hosho-hoko, Hosho-yama, Moso-yama, Uraideyama, Yamabushiyama, Hail-Tenjinyama, Kakogi-yama, Hakko-yama, Ashikariyama, Aburatenjinyama, Kizukoyama, Taishiyama, Shirakutenyama, Mantisyama, Iwatoyama, Aya-ganaboko, Shijo-ganaboko, Funaboko
⚫︎後祭の宵山期間（7/21〜23）
Hashibenkei, Mt. Koi, Mt. Jomyo, Mt. Kuroshu, Mt. Yakujyoja, Mt. Suzuka, Mt. Hachiman, Mt.

The "Kaijo" decoration is the main attraction of the Yoiyama festival. At the center of each float's operation, called the "town meeting place," valuable items are displayed, such as the gorgeous ornaments and gojintai (sacred objects) that are hung on the float's pedestal during the procession.
Rare carpets and other items made in China and India between the 16th and 18th centuries are used, and each float has its own unique design.
It is only in Yoiyama that you can take your time to appreciate the precious items that are not easily seen in detail during the Yamaboko procession.

<Advice.
To show respect to the deities, please remove your hats. Please note that photography is not permitted. If you are lucky, you may be able to get an explanation of the suspended ornaments.

During Yoiyama, visitors can receive chimaki, a good-luck charm made of bamboo leaves to ward off epidemics and other calamities.
［The origin of this festival is that Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the main deity of Yasaka Shrine, was so impressed by the hospitality of Sominoshorai that he promised to protect her from plague as a descendant of Sominoshorai if she wore a thatch ring around her waist. The thatch ring, which became a landmark, was made by wrapping a bundle of thatch around it, hence the name "thatch roll," which in turn became known as "chimaki," which means "cake wrapped in bamboo leaves. The bundle of chimaki is accompanied by a talisman inscribed with the words, "Su-Min-Sho Rai Descendants.

<Trivia
In Kyoto, people hang hachimaki at the entrance of their houses to pray for good health, and return them a year later to Yasaka Shrine or to the float from which they were given.

Yamahoko floats play an important role in the Gion Festival, and some of them allow ordinary tourists to go up (ride) on them. For several days prior to the Mae and Goto festivals, visitors can board the floats from the second floor of the building called "Kaijo" of each Yamahoko, across the corridor leading to the float. This is the only time to get a close-up look at the floats, which are decorated with so gorgeous and gorgeous ornaments that they are said to be like moving museums. It will be a special experience to look over the city of Kyoto from the top of the float.

List of floats that can be boarded at the Gion Festival's pre-festival festivities.
Nagatohoko / Tsukihoko / Hakodani-hoko / Kikusui-hoko / Chicken float / Funafoko / Iwatoyama
*Purchase of Chimaki or goods or boarding pass is required to ride the Yamaboko.
Choto-boko is forbidden to women, so only men are allowed to board inside.

<Advice.
Since shoes are removed when climbing the yamahoko, choose shoes that are comfortable to wear.