Yasaka Shrine and Surroundings, Kyoto

Originally held in 869 as a Shinto ceremony to avert the plague, the Gion Festival has evolved as Kyoto’s main summer event that attracts people from in and out of Japan. In the beginning of July, the sounds of Konchikichin (the festival’s unique music of flutes, drums, and bells) can be heard everywhere and floats are constructed on the streets in preparation for the parade. The highlight of the festival is the grand parade of yamaboko floats that are carried around the downtown area on the 17th.