Fieldwork939_祇園祭序章,2024年

The Gion Festival in Kyoto is a festival of Yasaka Shrine with a tradition dating back 1,100 years. It began in 869 AD when, in Kyoto, the capital, an epidemic broke out across Japan, and in response to an imperial decree, 66 spears were erected, representing the 66 provinces that existed at the time, and a portable shrine was sent from Gion Shrine to Shinsen-en to pray for the removal of the disaster. The Gion Festival begins with the "Kichifu-iri" ceremony on July 1st, and ends with the "Eki Shrine Summer Festival" on the 31st. Various religious ceremonies and events are held over the course of a month.
Among these, the footage includes the Naginata-boko children's dance performance on July 5th, the Ayagasa-boko children's shrine visit on July 7th, and the welcoming lanterns and portable shrine washing on July 10th. This event can be considered the prologue to the Gion Festival.