A centuries-old festival in Japan brings Shinto traditions and towering floats to the streets
Associated Press
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Festival participants carry Yasaka Shrine's Eastern Mikoshi back into the shrine's main hall following the "Mikoshi Arai" purification ritual ahead of the Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)A festival float passes by maikos and geikos watching one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)Young women dressed in traditional attire take part in the "Mikoshi Arai" purification ritual ahead of the Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)A festival participant carries a giant purification torch past tourists and local residents during the "Mikoshi Arai" purification ritual ahead of the Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)Festival participants carry Yasaka Shrine's Eastern Mikoshi back into the shrine's main hall following the "Mikoshi Arai" purification ritual ahead of the Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)A giant festival float is paraded through a cheering crowd during one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)A geiko, a regional word for geisha, and a maiko watch one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)A festival float passes through a narrow street during one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)A geiko, a regional word for geisha, and a maiko watch festivalgoers pass by during one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)Musicians are seen atop a festival float during one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)The top of a festival float is seen during one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)People carry the "Niwatori Hoko" float during one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)Festivalgoers are seen atop a festival float during one of the main parades of Shinto's Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)
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Festival participants carry Yasaka Shrine's Eastern Mikoshi back into the shrine's main hall following the "Mikoshi Arai" purification ritual ahead of the Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, western Japan, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fred Mery)