Summer vacation has started for most students. In Japan, a lot of fireworks and festivals take place in summer. Some bon dance festivals were held in my area this weekend and also last weekend.
fireworks & summer festivals(Japanese version only):
http://hanabi.yahoo.co.jp/
http://www.rurubu.com/season/summer/hanabi/
The Gion Festival(祇園祭) is being held in Kyoto from July 1 to the 31.
about Gion Festival:
http://ichinen-fourseasonsinjapan.blogspot.jp/2010/07/end-of-rainy-season-and-gion-festival.html
http://ichinen-fourseasonsinjapan.blogspot.jp/2011/07/gion-festival1.html
http://ichinen-fourseasonsinjapan.blogspot.jp/2011/07/gion-festival2.html
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| Yamaboko-junkophoto by 京都フリー写真素材 |
The festival's highlight is a parade of 33 beautifully decorated floats named Yamaboko-junko or Yamahoko-junko(山鉾巡行).
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| Yamaboko-junko, Fune-hoko(船鉾)photo by 京都フリー写真素材 |
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| It is crowded again this year! |
The parade takes place to ease crowding on July 17 and 24 this year. All of the floats had paraded in a day since 1966. Twenty-three floats paraded on the 17th, and 10 will do on the 24th.
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| Ofune-boko photo by 全３３頁 祇園祭山鉾巡行写真集 |
The Ofune-boko(大舩鉾) float will return to the parade on the 24th after an almost 150-year absence this year. The float was burned by the Onin War in 1467, a big fire in 1788, and the rebellion at the Hamaguri Gate (蛤御門の変) in 1864. Other yamahoko floats were also damaged by fires and wars to some degree. Taka-yama(鷹山）and Hotei-yama(布袋山) floats can't return to the parade.
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| photo by 京都フリー写真素材 |
(23 floats on 14-16, 10 floats on 21-23)
