2025 Gion Festival: How to Enjoy Kyoto’s Biggest Summer Event Without the Crowds

• Table of Contents
• What is the Gion Festival?
• 2025 Gion Festival Schedule
• What is Chimaki?
• Event Locations
• Enjoy the Event from Hotel Forza Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi
• Access to the hotel
• Kyoto Gion Festival Event Details

What is the Gion Festival?

The Kyoto Gion Festival is one of Japan's three major festivals, held every July in Kyoto. It is a festival of Yasaka Shrine and has a history of over 1,000 years. The highlight of the festival is the gorgeous and gorgeous Yamahoko parade, a traditional event that prays for the elimination of epidemics. The townspeople's culture remains strong, and it has become a seasonal feature that colors the summer in Kyoto.

2025 Gion Festival Schedule

The event is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, July 1st to Thursday, July 31st, 2025 .

Pre-festival (sakimatsuri)

Yoiyama: July 14th (Mon) - 16th (Wed)

●Yamahoko Procession: Thursday, July 17th

●Chimaki sales: July 13th (Sun) to 16th (Wed)

● Street food stalls: July 15th (Tue) to 16th (Wed) *On the 15th and 16th, the Yoiyama period, the main streets of Shijo-dori and Karasuma-dori will become pedestrianized and many street stalls will be set up along the streets.

Atomatsuri (later festival)

Yoiyama: July 21st (Monday, holiday) to July 23rd (Wednesday)

●Yamahoko Procession: Thursday, July 24th

●Chimaki sales: July 20th (Sun) to 23rd (Wed)

What is Chimaki?

The "Chimaki" of the Gion Festival is not food but a talisman to ward off evil spirits. (You really can't eat it!)

It is a cone-shaped item wrapped in bamboo leaves, and by displaying it at the entrance of the house, people pray to keep misfortune away from the home. This custom originates from the Chinese custom of hanging rice dumplings at the gate, and in Japan it has been passed down as a Shinto ritual in the Gion Festival.

Each float has a different benefit.

・Naginata Hoko: Protection from disasters

・Tsukihoko (Moon Float from the Gion Festival): Traffic safety

・Hoshozan: Matchmaking, etc.

Chimaki are sold at the "kaisho" of each Yamahoko float during the Yoiyama period.

Event Locations

1. Yasaka Shrine (625 Gion-cho Kitagawa, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City)

This shrine is the central location of the Gion Festival and is the starting and ending point for religious ceremonies, the portable shrine procession, and the flower umbrella procession.

2. Around Shijo Street and Karasuma Street

This area is lined with floats and becomes a pedestrian precinct during the Yoiyama period. Many food stalls are set up here, and you can feel the excitement of the festival.

3. Shinmachi-dori and Muromachi-dori

A street where you can enjoy float displays and Gion Bayashi music. Lined with traditional townhouses, the street also hosts events such as the Byobu Festival.

Part of the Yamahoko procession route. The procession routes differ for the first and second festivals, but both parade through the center of Kyoto City.

Enjoy the Event from Hotel Forza Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

View of the festival from the guest room

Some people may be thinking, "I'd like to see the Yamahoko Parade, but it would be difficult to watch in the heat with all the crowds, and paid seats are out of my budget..."

From some of the guest rooms at Hotel Forza Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi (on the Shijo Street side), you can see the Yamahoko parade, as shown in the image at the beginning of this article.

Why not enjoy the Yamahoko Parade this year in a comfortable private space, free from the heat and crowds?

View details of Hotel Forza Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

Access to the hotel

The nearest stations are Hankyu "Karasuma Station" and "Kawaramachi Station", Keihan "Gion-Shijo Station", etc. Alternatively, take Kyoto City Bus Route 206 from JR Kyoto Station and get off at Gion, or it is a short walk from Kyoto City Subway "Karasuma-Oike Station" and "Shijo Station".

Kyoto Gion Festival Event Details

・Dates: July 1st to 31st, 2025

・Kyoto Tourism Official Website: https://ja.kyoto.travel/event/major/gion/letsgo.php