Gion Matsuri - Yamaboko Junko series

Posted by Celialee (Kyoto, Japan) on 31 July 2007 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

Unlike last year's heavy rain, it was a cloudy day during the main parade this year. The sun came and went, the drizzle came and went but on the whole, we were lucky to have a relatively good weather, considering the rainy days that preceded the event.

From the Gion Matsuri Volunteer website:

This picture depicts the “Tsujimawashi” . To enable the hoko to turn more easily when going round corners, wet bamboo is laid under the wheels. The float is then pulled almost on a 90 degree angle right angle to make it slide on the wet bamboo and change direction.

Therefore the corners of the streets are the most "fun" part to watch the parade and the crowd will cheer if the turning is done right and fast.

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