Tucked into the Ukyo Ward of Kyoto is a movie studio called Uzumasa Eigamura. It’s used a lot for period dramas. When no one is filming, though, it turns into an amusement park and is popular with children and families. The largest set on the lot, known as Edo Sakaba, is the location for a two-night festival every year. Edo is the old name...
Every year, one evening in late July, the intersection is transformed into a Bon Odori stage. The surrounding roads are shut down, a stage is set up in the middle of the intersection, and a massive crowd donning yukata robes dance around it. This is only the second time this event has taken place and not many Japanese know about it. A one-day event...
Photo Courtesy of OH! MATSURi Gion Matsuri is an annual festival of the Yasaka Shrine located in Higashiyama, Kyoto. It’s one of the three biggest festivals in Japan and has an 1,100-year history. July is the most vibrant and festive month for Kyoto. The month-long celebration is a rarity in Japan, and every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists make the trek to Kyoto...
At this festival you will see seven beautifully decorated floats known as Mikurumayama. Each of the floats belongs to one of the seven local boroughs called “Yamacho,” which safely keeps and decorates the floats in their own fashion. These beautiful floats each boast in detail many of Takaoka’s brilliant and traditional craftwork such as metal smithing, lacquering and dyeing. The parade through town begins...
