Today I went to Shi-jo one of the main roads in Kyoto with my Mother and Taki to see the famous floats being made for the Gion matsuri. The Gion matsuri is the biggest festival in Kyoto and is also known as the festival of the lights.
The festival happens in July every year and goes for several weeks. At the end there is a parade down the main street and there are very old and traditional floats that go down the street. The week before the parade teams of very strong men re-build the old floats. The wood and pieces for the floats are stored in sheds behind the shops in the main street. It takes several days to re-construct them. The men who make them have been training for many years to do this job, some of them learned the skill from their fathers and grandfathers.
Here is a photo my Mother took for me of the men putting one of the floats together:
There are many wonderful festivals and celebrations in Japan. At school we learn about the different festivals and their meanings.
じゃまたね
Kumi
