Journey of the Hōkaboko Float - Gion Matsuri in HD

July in Kyoto is completely dominated by the Gion Festival, one of the most famous festivals in all Japan. Occurring first in 869 and an annual event since 970, the Gion Matsuri has a lot of history to draw from and includes a variety of rituals and entertainment. The popular stars of the festival though, are the 33 floats built and maintained by local neighborhoods in central Kyoto that appear in the grand Yamaboko Junkō parades. Each float has distinct décor, history, and traditions woven in to the lar