Video Introduction of “Welcoming Lanterns” at Gion Festival in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

This video, titled "Gion Matsuri Omukae Chochin Performance," was uploaded by Kyoto Fan.
It introduces "Omukae Chochin," one of the events that takes place during Kyoto's Gion Matsuri (Gion Festival).

Gion Matsuri is held each year at Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社, yasakajinja) in Kyoto and is one of the largest festivals in Japan.
Omukae Chochin, which takes place on July 10th, is a lantern parade held to welcome the Gion Matsuri mikoshi (portable shrines).
We hope you enjoy watching this exciting event which attracts a large number of tourists each year!

Check Out Omukae Chochin!

Source :YouTube screenshot

Gion Matsuri is a festival that takes place at Yasaka Shrine (sometimes referred to as "Gionsha" (祇園社)) in Kyoto.
Gion Matsuri is held throughout the month of July, however, Omukae Chochin, the event introduced in the video, is always held on July 10th.

After Omukae Chochin and Mikoshi Togyo (a portable shrine parade) are held on July 10th, a large number of festival floats called "Yamaboko" (山鉾) are built for future parades.
During the festival month, the Yamaboko float areas are filled with musicians dressed in kimono and yukata playing flutes and taiko drums to a performance called "Gionbayashi" (祇園囃子).
This can be seen from 0:27 in the video.

Popular Events Held After Omukae Chochin

Photo：Gion Matsuri, Kyoto Prefecture

During "Yoiyama" (宵山), held on July 15th and 16th, the streets are closed off to vehicles and instead filled with a large number of food stands called "yatai" (屋台).
This is a great spot to take photos of the delicious local food!

Gion Matsuri's main event, Yamaboko Junko (山鉾巡行, Yamaboko Parade), takes place on July 17th and 24th.
There are many other events you can enjoy during Gion Matsuri, such as "Yoiyama" which features lively musical performances, and "Hanagasa Junko," which is performed by children.
If you'd like to watch the spectacular Yamaboko Junko parade up close, we highly recommend booking seats in advance.

Enjoy Summer Sightseeing In Kyoto!

Photo：Gozan Okuribi, Kyoto Prefecture

Even after Gion Matsuri has come to an end, there are still many more events to be enjoyed in Kyoto!
Gozan no Okuribi (五山の送り火), a festival held during the Bon Festival (お盆, obon), attracts many tourists each year.
If you're traveling to Kyoto during summer, we highly recommend dining along the riverside, a tradition called "Kamo River Noryo-Yuka" (鴨川納涼床, Kamogawa Nouryoyuka).

There are also many other cultural properties you can enjoy in Kyoto city.
Unfortunately there are no fireworks displays held in the city, but if you would like to see the summer fireworks, the nearest spots are the Uji River (宇治川, ujikawa) and Kameoka (亀岡).

Summary of Kyoto's Gion Matsuri

Source :YouTube screenshot

As you can see from the video, Gion Matsuri is an elegant yet powerful festival which is widely popular year after year.
The festival is held throughout the entire month of July (from July 1st all the way through July 31st).
If you'd like to see one of the largest festivals in Japan, we highly recommend visiting Kyoto during summer!

【Official Website】Gion Matsuri Overview – Yasaka Shrine
http://www.yasaka-jinja.or.jp/en/

【Tripadvisor】Gion Matsuri
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298564-d8820238-Reviews-Gion_Matsuri-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html