Gion Matsuri celebrates more than 1,000 years of Shinto tradition in Kyoto

KYOTO, Japan – Thousands of residents and tourists filled the streets of Kyoto this month as Japan’s centuries-old Gion Matsuri returned with its iconic towering floats, traditional music and sacred rituals, continuing a festival that has endured for more than a millennium as a symbol of faith, community and cultural heritage.

Held throughout July in the former imperial capital, the Gion Matsuri traces its origins to the late ninth century, when it began as a religious ceremony to ward off epidemics and seek divine protection from disease. Today, the annual celebration remains one of Japan’s most important traditional festivals, blending elaborate public processions with centuries-old Shinto religious practices.

One of the festival’s most recognizable features is its grand procession of intricately decorated wooden floats, some weighing as much as 12 tons, which are pulled through Kyoto’s historic streets amid traditional music, dance and chanting. The parades attract large crowds from across Japan and around the world, but scholars emphasize that their primary purpose remains spiritual rather than ceremonial entertainment.

“Those performances are not meant primarily for the entertainment of people. They are offerings to the gods,” Fabio Rambelli, professor of religious studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told The Associated Press.

For participants like Katsushi Horikawa, serving aboard one of the towering floats carries deep spiritual meaning.

“I am conscious of them when I’m riding on top,” Horikawa said, referring to the presence of the deities. “When we’re assembling it as well, but I think the main time is when I’m riding on it.”

At the heart of the festival is Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine, one of Japan’s best-known Shinto shrines. The shrine’s principal deity has long been revered as a protector against disease and calamities, reflecting the festival’s origins during a period when communities sought divine intervention against devastating epidemics.

Religious scholars note, however, that the shrine also illustrates Japan’s long history of religious blending.

According to Rambelli, Yasaka Shrine functioned as a Buddhist temple until about 150 years ago. Before the Meiji Restoration of 1868, its principal deity was Gozu Tennō, an ox-headed figure believed to possess the power to both spread and prevent epidemics. The deity represented a fusion of Indian, Korean and Japanese religious traditions, illustrating the syncretic nature of Japanese spirituality before the government formally separated Shinto and Buddhism.

During the Meiji era, Japan established State Shinto and placed greater emphasis on the emperor’s divine lineage while separating Buddhist institutions from Shinto shrines. The reforms also sparked a widespread anti-Buddhist movement that led to the destruction of temples, statues and religious artworks.

Andrea De Antoni, professor of anthropology and religious studies at Kyoto University, said modern Shinto continues to reflect a broader history of cultural and religious influences despite its institutional separation from the state after World War II.

“It is an institutionalized religion that revolves around ideas of deities called kami and different spirits,” De Antoni said, noting similarities between Japanese beliefs and forms of animism found across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Beyond its religious significance, the Gion Matsuri remains an important community tradition. Local neighborhoods spend months constructing and decorating the elaborate floats, preserving craftsmanship and customs that have been passed down through generations.

Among the festival’s longstanding traditions is the selection of a young boy to serve as a sacred messenger to the gods. During the procession, the chosen child sits atop one of the floats and, according to custom, is not allowed to let his feet touch the ground until the ceremony concludes.

Another important ritual involves the installation of the shingi, a sacred tree mounted atop one of the floats where a deity is believed to descend during the procession.

Atsushi Matono, who oversees the ritual, said every step is carried out with reverence.

“I always carry out my work with great care and respect,” Matono said. “Feeling the presence of the gods.”

For many residents, the Gion Matsuri represents more than a cultural attraction. It remains a living expression of Kyoto’s spiritual heritage, bringing together centuries-old religious traditions, neighborhood cooperation and one of Japan’s most enduring celebrations.

The Gion Matsuri has been recognized as one of Japan’s premier traditional festivals and forms part of the cultural heritage associated with Kyoto’s Historic Monuments, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The annual celebration continues to attract visitors from around the world while preserving rituals that have remained at the heart of the festival for more than 1,000 years.