#yochou

Essential Japanese Seasonal Decorations - Summer

Seasonality: Late Summer/ July

Japanese Name: Gion Matsuri/ Saki Gion Matsuri/ Ato Gion Matsuri/ Yoi-yama/ Byobu Matsuri/ Saki Matsuri Yamaboko Junko/ Ato Matsuri Yamaboko Junko/ Mikoshi/ Uchiwa/ Taiko/ Ondotori

English Name: Yasaka Shrine Festival/ Early Yasaka Shrine Festival/ Late Yasaka Shrine Festival/ Pre-festival Party/ Folding Screen Festival/ Early Festival Float Procession/ Late Festival Float Procession/ Divine Palanquin/ Round Fan/ Fat Drum/ Leaders

    Gion Matsuri (祇園祭), the festival of Yasaka Shrine, is the most famous festival in Japan. It was first celebrated in 869 CE in an attempt to appease the gods during a plague outbreak in Kyoto. It consists of multiple events (click here for the day-by-day breakdown) that take place over the entire month of July and are divided into the Early Gion Festival (先祇園祭, Saki Gion Matsuri) and the Later Gion Festival (後祇園祭, Ato Gion Matsuri). Before each procession, there are pre-festival parties known collectively as yoi-yama (宵山). Depending on the day, these pre-matsuri celebrations are known as Yoi-yoi-yoi-yama (宵宵宵山, July 14 or 21), Yoi-yoi-yama (宵宵山, July 15 or 22), and Yoi-yama (宵山, July 16 or 23). At the same time as the early yoi-yama celebrations is Byobu Matsuri (屏風祭), a festival where local residents put precious family heirlooms on display for the general public. On July 17, the grand procession of floats, known as Saki Matsuri Yamaboko Junko (先祭山鉾巡行), takes place and a limited number of the impressive floats are paraded for 3 km starting from Shijo-Karasuma Station, up Kawaramachi-dori and ending at Karasuma-Oike Station. After a 48 year hiatus, in 2014, a second smaller procession of floats known as Ato Matsuri Yamaboko Junko (後祭山鉾巡行) was reintroduced. On July 24, the remaining floats are paraded down the streets in the reverse of the earlier parade’s route. The yoi-yama of the Ato Matsuri tend to be less popular than the yoi-yama held for the Saki Matsuri. 

    Mikoshi (神輿, “divine palanquin”) are portable shrines used to transport the gods during Shinto matsuri celebrations. After departing from Yasaka Shrine, the Gion Festival mikoshi are carried through the neighboring streets, and after a week of visiting temporary stations prepared for it around the city, the mikoshi once again return to their home shrine. The Yamaboko Junko was originally designed as a holy ritual to welcome the mikoshi to the city. However, the parade (as well as the yoiyama celebrations) are often considered the gist of Gion Matsuri rather than just the opening acts to the mikoshi procession. The three mikoshi of Gion Matsuri are carried along the parade route by yocho (予兆, mikoshi bearers). Each mikoshi can weigh up to 2.5 tons and need as manys 700 yochou to take turns bearing its weight. At various stops, each groups of yochou will perform a togyo (渡御), a mikoshi ritual to banish bad luck from the neighborhood and bring purity. 

    Ondotori (音頭取り, planner/leader) are the men that can often be seen riding atop the giant hoko floats while carrying folding fans and directing the yocho pulling the float along the parade route. The ondotori are critical to when these massive floats have to make right angle turns in a process called tsuji-mawashi (辻廻し, “intersection go-around”). During tsuji-mawashi, the hoko float comes to a stop over green bamboo laid on the ground with water sprinkled over it, and is gradually turned in three or four pulls making for a spectacular sight. 

    Taiko (太鼓, “fat drum”) is a drumming style of Japanese origin. Various taiko drums have been used in Japan for over 1400 years and possibly much longer. Taiko as we know them today bear strong resemblance to Chinese and Korean instruments, which were probably introduced in the waves of Korean and Chinese cultural and religious influence from 300-900 CE. Thus, the rumbling of taiko has long been associated with the gods and has been appropriated by the religions of Japan. As the belief that gods resided within taiko drums developed, only holy men were allowed to play it, and as the Shinto and Buddhist religions developed in Japan, this custom remained. Today, taiko continue to find a place in religious ceremonies, both Buddhist and Shinto. It’s extremely common to find them in both temples and shrines as well as in holidays sponsored by those religions such as the Buddhist Bon Odori celebration and the various Shinto festivals. 

 Uchiwa (団扇, "group fan”) are non-folding fans with long handles whose paper surfaces can come in oval, round, square or other shapes. The traditional uchiwa fan is made of bamboo, with multiple layers forming the structure onto which the fan paper is glued. It’s a fan commonly used during the summer months and often more elaborate versions of them are given as gifts to guests at events such as weddings. 

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