Dreams of Miyako (都の夢想), 7

Posted by GJC (Kyoto (京都), Japan) on 25 July 2009 in Lifestyle & Culture.

This was taken at Kyoto's Gion Matsuri (祇園祭), one of Japan's oldest and most important annual festivals. It was begun in the 9th century to appease the gods who had sent plague to the city. Because the gods that protect the city are at Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社), this festival honors them. Giant floats, called "hoko" and "yama" (鉾と山), made of wood and covered with tapestry are put together using only rope, and many of them are several stories high, with their elaborately decorated halberd tops reaching even higher into the sky.

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