When (July)	Event	Details	Where
1 - 5	Kippu-iri	Means "start of rituals". Neighborhoods maintaining floats meet in community centres to discuss allocation of tasks, etc.	In each neighborhood that maintains a float.
1 10:00 a.m.	Naginataboko-cho O-sendo	Three children of the Naginataboko-cho community have been selected to ride on the Naginata-boko float. They are taken to Yasaka-jinja Shrine to pray for the success of the festival.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
2 11:30 a.m.	Yamaboko-cho Shasan	A lottery is conducted at the City Office to determine the order of the floats in the July 17 procession. Representatives of each neighborhood then visit Yasaka-jinja to pray for a successful festival.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
10 - 14	Hoko-date / Yama-date	Construction of the floats begins. Work starts on the larger floats on July 10(starting between 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.), 11(starting about 7:00 a.m.), or 12(starting about 7:00 a.m.). Comparatively smaller floats are assembled on July 13 and 14. No nails are used. All floats are held together with elaborate rope bindings.	Inner city neighborhoods that maintain floats.
10 4:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.	Omukae Chochin	A procession of lanterns follows a course from Yasaka-jinja Shrine, in preparation for the Mikoshi-arai ritual (see below).	Course : - Yasaka-jinja Shrine - Intersection of Shijo Street and Kawaramachi Street - Kyoto City Office (dances are performed here, from about 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) - Teramachi Street - Shijo Street - Higashioji Street - Shinkomichi Street - Yasaka-jinja Shrine.
10 8:00 p.m.	Mikoshi-arai	One of three portable shrines (mikoshi) in Yasaka-jinja is carried in a procession to the Shijo Ohashi Bridge, for a portable shrine purification ritual. The portable shrine then returns to Yasaka-jinja, arriving around 9:00 p.m. Hanging lanterns at Yasaka-jinja are lit on the evening of the 10th.	Shijo Ohashi Bridge
12 - 15	Hoko-hikizome / Yama-kakizome	The assembled floats are pulled, pushed or carried on trial runs around their respective neighborhoods. July 12 / about 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. : (Floats) Naginata-boko, Kanko-boko, Niwatori-boko, Kikusui-boko, Tsuki-boko. July 13 / about 2:30 - 3:00 p.m. : (Floats) Hoka-boko, Funa-boko, Iwato-yama, Kita Kannon-yama, Minami Kannon-yama.	In neighborhoods maintaining floats.
13 11:00 a.m.	Chigo shasan	Nowadays only the Naginata-boko float still carries children. The others carry dolls. The leading child (chigo) is taken on horseback to Yasaka-jinja to receive divine sanction.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
14 - 16	Yoi-yama	Shijo Street and certain side streets as far as Omiya are closed to traffic for several hours in the evenings. The floats, located throughout the city centre, are adorned with lanterns and other exquisite decorations. Many local houses display precious tapestries, folding screens and other historical community treasures. From about 10:00 p.m. on July 16, gion-bayashi musicians from various neighborhoods make their way to the Shrine Resting Place at the intersection of Shijo Street and Teramachi Street. There they pray for good weather on the day of the procession. At around 11:00 p.m., an image of the deity Kannon is carried in a boisterous procession around the neighborhood of the float, Minami Kannon-yama	Neighborhoods in the city centre
15 3:00 p.m.	Dento geino hono	Dedication of traditional performing arts, such as imayo chanting, Japanese dance, kyogen, koto music, and others.	Noh stage, Yasaka-jinja Shrine
16 9:00 a.m.	Kencha-sai	Tea is prepared and dedicated to the deities by the master of the Urasenke School of Tea.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
16 10:00 a.m.	Shinken haisai	The halberd (naginata) that sits on top of the Naginata-boko float is taken to the Shrine Resting Place on Karasuma Street, south of Bukkoji Street, at 6:00 p.m. on July 15. After a ritual at 10:00 a.m. on the 16th, people pray here for protection from misfortune.
16	Sagi-mai (6:00 p.m.) / Ishimi-kagura (7:00 p.m.)	Sagi-mai is the dance of a male and female heron. Ishimi-kagura is a dance in which the deity Susano-o-no mikoto, appearing as a great snake, is driven off.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
17 9:00 a.m.	Procession of Floats	Led by the Naginata-boko float, and with musicians playing the the traditional gion-bayashi music, each hoko and yama float leaves its home to assemble along Shijo and Karasuma Streets. A 1,000-year-old panorama then unfolds along the procession route. At Fuya-cho, on Shijo Street, a child in the Naginata-boko float cuts a rope stretched across the street, marking the start of the procession.	The route of procession
17 4:00 p.m.	Shinko-sai	Three portable shrines in Yasaka-jinja are carried along various routes through the neighborhood under the shrine's protection. They arrive at the Shijo Street Shrine Resting Place after 8:00 p.m., and remain there until the 24th.
18 - 22	Kyogen hono	Dedication of kyogen performances by student kyogen societies. July 18 at 6:00 p.m. July 19 at 6:00 p.m. July 20 at 10:00 a.m. + 6:00 p.m. July 21 at 6:00 p.m. July 22 at 10:00 a.m.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Noh Stage
23 9:00 a.m.	Kencha-sai	Sencha (a type of tea) is prepared and dedicated to the shrine deity by the masters of Kyoto-based Sencha schools.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
23 2:00 p.m.	Biwa hono	Biwa music is dedicated to the shrine by members of the Biwa Society.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Noh Stage
24 10:00 a.m.	Hana-kasa junko	A procession of 10 floats decorated with flowers, accompanied by the distinctive hayashi music, attendants in samurai dress, etc. Course : - From Yasaka-jinja Shrine - Intersection of Shijo and Kawaramachi streets - Oike Street - Teramachi Street - Shijo Street - Higashioji Street - Shinkomichi Street - Back to Yasaka-jinja Shrine. Dances are performed at Yasaka-jinja after the procession returns.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
24	Kanko-sai	At about 5:00 p.m., three portable shrines leave the Shijo Street Shrine Resting Place (at the intersection of Shijo Street and Teramachi Street). They are carried in a procession along city streets and arrive at Yasaka-jinja Shrine between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
25 about 1:00 p.m.	Kyogen hono	Dedication of kyogen to the shrine deity	Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Noh Stage
28 8:00 p.m.	Mikoshi-arai	The portable shrines undergo a purification ritual, as on July 10, and are then placed in storage.	Shijo Ohashi Bridge
29	Shinji-zumi hokoku-sai	A ritual announcement to the deities that Gion Matsuri events have been completed, and expression of appreciation of divine blessings.	Yasaka-jinja Shrine
31 10:00 a.m.	Nagoshi Ritual (Summer Purification Ritual)	Visitors step through a large chinowa (a hoop made of reeds) set up in the shrine gate and receive a charm for protection from illness and misfortune.	Eki-jinja Shrine (within Yasaka-jinja Shrine)

Gion Matsuri (Festival)