KYOTO--Tourism officials here are offering premium seats for 400,000 yen ($2,870) each that provide an up-close view of the traditional Gion Festival’s massive float parade on July 17.

The parade’s organizer, the Gion Festival Yamahoko Association, based in Kyoto’s Nakagyo Ward, made the decision on April 20 at a meeting with 34 local float-preservation associations.

In a scorching heat of over 35 degrees Celsius, people in Kyoto carried out a procession called Yamahoko Junko. The parade of decorative floats is the highlight of the annual Gion Festival ...

Japan’s former capital Kyoto plays host to numerous well ... But Japan’s biggest summer festival, the month-long Gion Festival, is probably the most famous of them all.

Core Kyoto zooms in on the Hoka Hoko, one of the festival's 34 floats Fronting the ... owl motif There are few festivals in the world like Gion Matsuri for its scope, grandeur and associated ...

Japan comes alive with matsuri, festivals that celebrate local culture and traditions throughout the country. From the icy ...