#2016-07

[merpmonde]

On the third day 'fore Gion, my true love said to me: ...

"erm, actually, it's called yoiyoiyoiyama."

14 July. Yes there's a big parade in Paris, but in Kyoto, the big parade is three days away. The floats are largely finished - @chitaka45 has just posted a video on Instagram with the floats being tested on 13 July -, now it's just fine-tuning the decoration and starting the festival.

I've always been a scaredy-cat for crowds, so a morning walk was a great chance to see the streets occupied by floats and food stands.

It was also a great chance to see some floats up close, such as 船鉾 funeboko, the unique boat-shaped float which traditionally closes the parade. Notice the temporary roof structure and plastic sheeting to protect the tapestries.

Of course, all this is very well organised and mapped out. I've kept the programme from 2016 (Heisei 28) preciously: it shows the parade itinerary and order for the 17th, and the locations of the floats for the days before, the 16th being 宵山 yoiyama, and the 15th is called 宵々山 yoiyoiyama. The 15th would be my last day in Kyôto on my first trip to Japan, so the parade became unfinished business...

I briefly walked around on the evening of the 14th, the day logically known as 宵々々山 yoiyoiyoiyama. The floats were lit up, the bands were playing the traditional festival music... but it was busy! Security was enforcing one-way circulation for pedestrians in most streets!

[merpmonde]

It's beginning to look a lot like Gion, all around Kyoto...

The shopping arcade streets are playing the typical seasonal music, the shops themselves have seasonal goods stocked, and the decorations are going up. It's 10 July in Kyôto, and Gion Matsuri is a week away.

The term "decorations" is quite inadequate, because what's actually blocking lanes and entire streets around the Shijô-Karasuma intersection is the construction of the festival floats for the parade on the 17th.

By the 12th, the main structures are ready, the gangways are in place, and the top of the yama floats are installed, giving onlookers an idea of just how high these things are going to be.

The music combines flutes, small gongs and drums. Having heard lots of it just walking in the streets near the hotel in 2016, I have strong memories of it, and I'd say it's rather haunting and evocative of that first trip. Unfortunately, I don't have my own quality recording of the typical Gion music, so for illustration, here's someone else's, with their impressions of the build-up to the 2025 festival.

[pinterestoddities]

completely functional search engine

[desenho-do-alex]

[hellomagmoe]

游戏 idolish7 NATSU☆しようぜ! 单曲 CD - [卖萌]

发售时间：2016年7月7日 收录内容 1. 『夏ノ島音楽祭』復活の狼煙 2. NATSU☆しようぜ! 3. 『夏ノ島音楽祭』伝説の生まれた場所 4. NATSU☆しようぜ! 5. 永遠にくりかえすミュージック~潮騒の中で~ 点我带回家

http://mag.moe/100513

#201607, #Idolish7

#萌玩具

游戏 idolish7 NATSU☆しようぜ! 单曲 CD

[hellomagmoe]

魔法的禁书目录-恩底弥翁的奇迹- 茵蒂克斯 兔女郎Ver.手办 7月预定发售！ - [卖萌]

ACG作品名：魔法的禁书目录-恩底弥翁的奇迹- ACG角色名：茵蒂克斯 发售时间：2016年07月 售价：20,185円＋税 材质：PVC 规模：1/4 尺寸：全高约410mm 原型制作：FREEing 点我带回家

http://mag.moe/51479

#201607, #茵蒂克斯, #魔法的禁书目录恩底弥翁的奇迹

#萌玩具

魔法的禁书目录-恩底弥翁的奇迹- 茵蒂克斯 兔女郎Ver.手办 7月预定发售！

[hellomagmoe]

2way背包 星型痛包 - [卖萌]

发售时间：2016年7月 尺寸：W300×H280×D100mm 材质：PU 款式：红、白、黄、绿、粉、紫、蓝、海军蓝 点我带回家 点我带回家

http://mag.moe/72154

#201607, #痛包

#萌玩具

2way背包 星型痛包

[latches-of-being-blog]

Book #16: Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Prompt: A book about a culture you’re unfamiliar with

REVIEW (spoilers?)

Coming soon.