Gion Matsuri is one of Kyoto's great summer rituals. It is often introduced as a festival of spectacular floats, but its deeper character is more layered: a month-long act of purification, a neighborhood tradition, a civic performance, and a living museum of Kyoto craft. The festival is centered on Yasaka Shrine and the old Gion area, but its atmosphere spreads through the heart of the city. Every July, streets that normally feel practical and modern begin to carry an older r