Traditional Dance Opens Month-Long Festival in Kyoto

Jul 07, 2025 | News On Japan

KYOTO - The month-long Gion Festival in Kyoto began with the ceremonial rite known as Kippu-iri no Gi, held in the Nagatakehoko district to pray for the festival's safe proceedings.

At the local community hall housing the Naginata-hoko float, which leads the procession during the festival’s first parade, a formal ritual was conducted in which a ceremonial ticket listing the names of this year’s chigo (sacred child) and their assistant kamuro was placed before the altar. Following this, the young participants performed the traditional Taihei no Mai (Dance of Peace) from the second floor of the hall, facing the street.

With the completion of this ritual, the festive sounds of Gion-bayashi music will begin to echo through Nagatakehoko from the night of July 7th. The highlight of the first half of the festival, the Yamahoko Junko float procession, is scheduled to take place on July 17th.

Source: YOMIURI

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