The reason for our trip to Kyoto was because we wanted to visit and experience the Gion Festival. It is Summer here and today the weather was perfect for this cultural event. The floats begin the parade at 9:00 am so we left our hotel at 8:00. We arrived to find crowds already lining the streets and many of the best view points taken. However we were lucky to find an opening in the barricades at a bus stop (no busses would be running during the "parade"). The origin of the Gion Matsuri goes back to the 9th century when people suffered from the plague. Portable shrines were carried through the streets of Kyoto and the plague disappeared. Later in the 10th century people started having processions to celebrate their health and good fortune. The procession serves as protection and purification. The belief is that evil forces can be gathered by the floats through the attraction of glittering objects, music and ritualistic dancing. Immediately after each procession the floats ...
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