Gion Festival Yamaboko Parade Image, Kyoto Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto (Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City; General Manager: Tomoaki Yamada), the flagship brand of Banyan Group, a leading independent hospitality group worldwide, is launching a special accommodation plan to allow guests to fully enjoy the Kyoto summer during the Gion Festival, one of Kyoto's three major festivals. The Gion Festival boasts over 1150 years of history and is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. This plan focuses on the highlight of the festival, the Yamaboko Parade of the Saki Matsuri (pre-festival), and offers a premium viewing experience from a historic machiya (traditional townhouse) alongside geiko and maiko. Guests can experience Kyoto's traditional culture, passed down for over a thousand years, from a special perspective. After immersing yourselves in the vibrant atmosphere of Kyoto during the festival, you can enjoy a moment of tranquility unique to Banyan Tree Higashiyama Kyoto, nestled on the elevated grounds of Higashiyama, adjacent to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Surrounded by a bamboo forest, blessed with abundant nature, natural hot springs, and an open location overlooking the Kyoto cityscape, we offer a luxurious stay to soothe your mind and body away from the hustle and bustle. Attractions of the Yamaboko Parade The Yamaboko Parade features 34 floats (23 for Saki Matsuri, 11 for Ato Matsuri) parading through the heart of Kyoto. These massive floats, reaching approximately 25 meters in height and weighing 10 to 12 tons, are known as "moving museums," adorned with precious art and craft objects from the Muromachi to Edo periods. It is a rare opportunity to see exquisite domestic and international crafts up close, such as Nishijin textiles, Yuzen dyed decorative cloths, and carpets imported from China and Persia. A particular highlight is the "Tsujimawashi" (corner turning). Although the floats have large wooden wheels, their direction is fixed, requiring a special tech