Kyoto Gion Festival prepares 5,000 purification streamers, celebrates 1,155‑year legacy

Kyoto’s Gion Festival, now in its 1,155th year, is preparing 5,000 "厄よけちまき" purification streamers. The Ayasago Hiko Preservation Society in Shimogyo Ward completed the streamers with help from student volunteers ahead of the festivities.

The celebration features traditional elements such as the long‑sword float that carries a "sei‑chi‑go" boy, the Tahei dance, and the illuminated Komagata lanterns that light the night‑time Yoso events. Organisers and caretakers, including Iijiri Hiroyuki, emphasise the transmission of customs to younger generations. Chief priest Nomura Akiyoshi recalled the festival’s origins in 869 as a prayer against disease and war. The events run from the pre‑festival on July 17 through the main parade on July 24, attracting large crowds.