In Kyoto, the middle of July is the rainy season yet. So there are a lot of rainy days. However, when July comes the town in Kyoto is alive with something, and people begin to get excited somehow. It is because “Gion Matsuri” that keeps coloring through the one month the town in Kyoto starts.



The viewpoint of Gion Matsuri might be beauty of the Yamaboko (floats). Because the Yamaboko of Gion Matsuri wears the adornment it is gorgeous and with the history, it is called, “Moving museum”. 32 Yamabokos are assembled here and there for “Yamaboko Junko (the parading of decorated floats)” on July 17 that is the event of the main of Gion Matsuri. To build up of hoko (hoko means float also) is called “hoko-tate”, and it takes 4 days to assemble big hoko from July 10.
4 hokos are assembled at Shijo-dori Street that is the main street of Kyoto. I had taken in the photograph an appearance with which Naginata boko called the oldest creation (having been created in 1441) was assembled every night.

The day before:
Shijo-dori Street on July 9 which was the day before of building-up the hoko was not different from usual. The position in which Naginata boko stands is usually a bus stop.



The first day:
The first day when “hoko-tate” had been done was rain. When I visited at about 7 PM, its foundation already had been built and had been covered with a blue plastic sheet to protect from rain.



The second day:
“Shingi” that had a naginata (a pole sword) on the tip had been fixed to the hoko. The length of bamboo Shingi is 20 meters and the height of the entire Naginata boko is about 25 meters from ground to tip. Though I was not able to see the work scenery this time, the hoko is assembled with every workman’s hand by the technique of the tradition “nawa-garami (nawa means rope)” that use no nail. The rope had been firmly regularly bound in a completed foundation part. The passerby also was gazing to a splendid “nawa-garami” work. Next time, I want to see the work scenery of “nawa-garami” by all means in daytime.



The third day:
The decoration of the hoko had ended, and the hoko already was completed. The decorated carpets are the replicas of the carpet of the 18th century. Regrettably, I didn’t see well because the carpets were covered with the plastic sheets in preparation for rain. It seemed that “hiki-hajime” was done on the afternoon of this day on schedule. In “hiki-hajime”, the musical accompanists who dressed up like that day of the parade board the hoko with the leaders, and the town folk try pulling it. Visitors also can join the pulling.



The fourth day:
The Japanese lanterns had been lighting up when I visited in the evening, and the musical accompanist were playing “Gion musical accompaniment” on the upper of the hoko. Sales of customary “yakuyoke-chimaki” and “tenugui (Japanese washcloth)” had been already started, and a festive mood has run high.



Yoiyoiyoiyama
The photograph below is an appearance of “Yoiyoiyoiyama” that is three days ago of “Yamaboko Junko (parading of decorated floats)”. Many people were walking in the Shijo-dori street who had become a pedestrian precinct around five o’clock of the evening. Unfortunately, it was intermittent rain.



Yoiyama
Then, it was “Yoiyama” which is the eve of parading of decorated floats. “Yoiyama” is a day when Kyoto is the liveliest for one year. The young and old man and woman gather around the Yamaboko.







After “Yamaboko Junko”
The hoko begin to be dismantled the next day of “Yamaboko Junko” that is the main event of Gion Matsuri. Yamabokos disappear after two days.

The photographs are an appearance of the second day in dismantlement work of Niwatori hoko.











When “Yamaboko Junko” of Gion Matsuri ends, the rainy season of Kyoto ends, though the end of the rainy season of this year was slow. The cicada begins to chirp all together, and the real summer of Kyoto starts.