Summer in Kyoto comes to life at Gion Festival

You can’t have summer in Kyoto without the Gion Festival. The festival is a designated important cultural property in Japan and is over 1,000 years old. We want to tell you about things to see, foods to eat, and events to take part in. Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo is located near the festival venue, so you can access it on foot. Be sure to check it out if you’re going to Kyoto during the summer. 

Gion Festival always stuns. Enjoy a magical festival night on the town

Gion Festival is a festival to pray for good health, crops, and safety. There are many street vendors and lively Hayashi (囃子, traditional Japanese performers). The main event is the “Yamahoko Junko” but the festival itself is a long one lasting all over July. The night before the Yamahoko Junko is called “Yoi-yama” (宵山). On this day, the main street is transformed into a street vendor paradise. The street is closed off and open only to pedestrians. You can enjoy delicious street food, traditional games, musical performances, and a lively atmosphere. You can only get to the vendor street and the floats by walking (no buses or taxis), so Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo’s central location makes a great stay. Come stay and enjoy an exciting night in Gion. 

Dates	Gion Festival Street Market: July 15th (Monday) and 16th (Tuesday)
Access	Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 10-min. walk from the hotel
URL	http://www.gionmatsuri.or.jp/foreign/en/

Enjoy foods you can only find here! Always a line for the Shimidare Buta-Man

One of the fun parts of Gion Festival is the food. At Gion Festival, popular restaurants serve original and limited edition menu items, so many people come for the food. Every year, people line up for the “Shimidare Buta-Man” (しみだれ豚まん) from a popular Chinese restaurant in Kyoto, Zezekan Pocchiri. Buta-Man is a soft bun filled with meat and other ingredients. Gion Festival was born during a pandemic to pray for health and safety. It is said that you won’t get sick for a year if you eat a Shimidare Buta-Man. The sauce is a great blend of sweet and umami, and the bun is packed with the filling. It’s hearty and addicting. It’s a limited item and sometimes sells out, so come early to get one. 

Address	283-2 Tenjinyama-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture
Access	Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 15-min. walk from the hotel
URL	https://kiwa-group.co.jp/zezekan/
URL	販売状況は公式IGをチェック　https://www.instagram.com/pocciri/

The Yamahoko goes around town. Feel the history when you watch the Yamahoko Junko.

The Yamahoko Junko (山鉾巡行) is a highlight of Gion Festival. Yamahoko is a type of float in Japanese festivals. Gorgeous floats from different towns in Kyoto go around the city. Currently, the Yamahoko Junko is split into two days. Part One (July 17th) has 23 Yamahoko and Part Two (July 24th) has 11 Yamahoko going around town. Each Yamahoko has extravagant decorations and carvings. They are known as “mobile art museums”. Skill and strength are required to move the Yamahoko. You get to see the traditions and unity that each region has spent so many years to pass down. The gorgeous Yamahoko moving around the city is a maginificent sight. The streets near Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo are part of the Yamahoko Junko route. See the Yamahoko close up and feel the excitement and passion. 

Access	Hotel Gracery Kyoto Sanjo: 3-min. walk to Oike Street and Kawaramachi Street from the hotel
URL	http://www.gionmatsuri.or.jp/foreign/en/