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A close-up shot of lucky children chosen to participate in Kyoto's Gion Matsuri. It is a great honor to be selected - the boy dressed in gold in this photo is the 'chigo' and he becomes a divine messenger of Yasaka Shrine. He rides on the leading float in the procession dressed in a Heian Era costume and, interestingly enough, his feet must not touch the ground until the procession is over (there is a man given the title of 'Goriki' who will occasionally carry him on his shoulders). The boy chosen must be between the ages of 8 and 10 and born in Kyoto. He has many ceremonial roles to play. You can read more about them here: http://web-japan.org/…/archi…/life/action/05-08/act0508.html @excursions_japan #japan #giappone #gion #matsuri #festival #kyoto
Kyoto's fantastic Gion Matsuri is currently underway and its two biggest events, parades of giant floats, occur on July 17 and 24th. If you are able to attend, here is a link to the parade route: http://www.kyokanko.or.jp/gion/junkou.html. @excursions_japan #japan #giappone #kyoto #gion #matsuri #festival
View of the teahouse in the garden, Oyakuen, from across its pond. Oyakuen is just one of the many wonderful sightseeing spots in Aizu Wakamatsu - a great weekend (or longer) get-away destination from Tokyo. @excursions_japan #japan #giappone #garden #fukushima #aizu #japanesegarden
Oyakuen, a lovely Japanese garden in Aizu Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture. What a wonderful way to give the impression of 'cool' on a humid summer day. This bowl of frozen flowers, and a light breeze blowing through the teahouse, helped create the perfect spot to relax & view the scenery while enjoying some tasty matcha. @excursions_japan #japan #giappone #garden #fukushima #aizu #summer
Another fantastic festival taking place from July 13-15 is the Sawara-no-Taisai Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival) in Katori, Chiba Prefecture. The highlight of this festival is a parade of 10 beautiful floats topped with large-size dolls modeled after historical figures, birds, beasts, etc. The parade travels down the main streets of the city, often beside its canal. 10:00-22:00 parade of floats. @excursions_japan #japan #giappone #sawara #chiba #festival #matsuri
One of Tokyo's top summer festivals is the Mitama Matsuri at Yasukuni Shrine, Chiyoda Ward. It will be held from July 13 - 16, starting each night from 18:00 (but best after it gets dark). Mitama is a respectful word for 'the soul of a deceased person' and this is an early festival for Obon, a time when Japanese people honor their ancestors. Don't expect serenity, however. Hang out with friendly crowds in a make-shift beer garden and enjoy every Japanese festival food you can think of. You'll be surrounded by thousands and thousands of yellow lanterns, live entertainment, traditional Japanese dancing, and even a haunted house! @excursions_japan #japan #giappone #tokyo #festival #matsuri

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