The Gion Festival, or Gion Matsuri, is a famous yearly festival in Kyoto which draws crowds of visitors to downtown Kyoto. Dating back to 650 years in Japan’s history, this festival originated as part of a purification ritual to appease the gods that caused disasters such as plagues and earthquakes. Author’s photo Today, the Gion…
In Kyoto, the largest annual festival is Gion Matsuri, a summer festival held to ward off disease and disasters. If you weren’t aware, Gion Matsuri is actually celebrated throughout the entire month of July, with the main festivities taking place on the 17th. However, for those visiting Kyoto in July, there are still a number…
Before the first day of New Year, many people visit Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto to pray for good health for the entire upcoming year. This is a traditional year-end festival held from 7 pm of December 31st through 5 am of January 1st. A large number of people attend the event and some bring home…
The Japanese festivals called Matsuri in Japanese are traditional festive and fun occasions where you can learn more about the culture and the traditions. The Matsuri normally are held by local shrines or temples. The Matsuri happen in every season and usually the ones which occur in summer or autumn are related to the rice…
The cherry blossom season or the Sakura season is the most stunning time to be in Japan. To all the international visitors and everyone wishing to see Kyoto during Sakura, here I share my experience of a one day trip in Kyoto along the pink and white beautiful flowers leaves. Generally for a one-day trip,…
As you may know, Kyoto is the ex-capital of Japan filled with nothing but magnificence. Known for being more traditional than the big cities such as Tokyo or Osaka, Kyoto will take you on a journey that will give you a glimpse of the Shogun lifestyle and the Onin war effects and many other historical…
