Gion Matsuri: The Hokaboko Float’s Journey

On the first day of July, a meeting called Kippu-Iri is held at the Hōkaboko headquarters. The meeting is for members of the Hōkaboko Preservation Committee. They perform prayers and a sake-sharing ritual to reaffirm their dedication to the success of this year's festival. The men then discuss the details of the festival. This includes everything from where to park their cars to what time certain events will be held. The hoko's, or float's, frame is comprised of pine beams. Over three miles of hemp rope is used to bind it together. A large needle is used to thread the ropes into complex knots. No nails are used during construction. The hoko has to be flipped onto its side to install the shingi, or mast. This is done with a winch and lever system, but in the past it was done solely by hand. The shingi is a major difference between hoko and yama floats. The mast is decorated with religious and festive paraphernalia. Every float's hoko-gashira, or masthead, is unique. The hokaboko's represent the sun, moon, and stars. Sasaki branches and Gohei streamers are commonly used in Shinto for purification and marking sacred spaces. The hoko is then hoisted back into place, ready for more decorations. Including the shingi, the hoko stands at around 82 feet. The hokaboko is decorated with many gilded parts, silk tapestries, and tassels. Much of the decor can be traced back to at least the Edo period. The axles are greased before the wheels are mounted. The wheels are about 6 feet in diameter and last for 50 to 100 years before they need to be replaced. After mounting, they are watered so the wood expands and locks into place. Once everything is ready, a hikizome, or test pull, takes place. Members of the public are invited to pull the float. This is the only time that women and non-neighborhood residents are allowed to pull the float. The street is quite narrow, so several men perch on the roof to push the power lines away. The hokaboko headquarters are open for visitors during the three Yoeyama nights. You can buy their handmade chimaki, good luck charms, which are made of bamboo grass. There are many valuable treasures on display. Some of these treasures will adorn the float on the day of the big parade. This is a well-known symbol of the hokaboko float, a tapestry designed by Minegawa Taizo. The household shrine holds the Chigo doll, Sankomaru, who sits in the place of honor on the float during the parade. Inside the hoko's turret, musicians play throughout the evening. This style of folk music is called giyonbayashi, and it is unique to this festival. This distinctive sound, konjiki-ching, can be heard all over town during the festival period in July. You can walk around and visit the floats until around 11 p.m. There are two parades, called yamaboko junko, in which the floats make their way around central Kyoto. In recent years, there was only one large parade, but this year the festival reverted to its more traditional two-parade system. The naginataboko is always the first float in the procession, and is known for its distinctive pike-shaped hokogashira. At an intersection, the floats must be pulled by hand because the wheels cannot be turned. Strips of wet bamboo are laid beneath the wheels in an arc to slide the 10- to 12-ton hoko over. Three or more pulls are needed to complete the turn. There are also numerous smaller floats known as yama. These are also adorned with many old treasures and tapestries, and are usually topped by sacred dolls. These dolls usually illustrate old Chinese and Japanese legends and moral stories. The floats are so well decorated because Edo period merchants donated Silk Road trade goods to support their neighborhoods. A troupe of musicians and pole dancers accompany the two ayagasaboko floats. The two umbrellas depict flowers of the four seasons and the flying angels. This year, the hokaboko's position was towards the rear of the procession. The hokaboko takes its name from the image of a hokazo, a traveling monk, on the mast. It was also the last float to discontinue the Chigo tradition, in which a boy serves as a sacred page during the festival. The doll, Sankomaru, has served in a living Chigo's place since 1929. Unlike some other dolls, Sankomaru can be puppeted and mimics the traditional Chigo dance throughout the parade. At the end of the parade, the floats must pass through some very narrow streets. This is a good chance for people to view the floats and their finery up close. It takes approximately three hours for the Yamaboko Junko parade to run its course. In the end, the hokaboko returns to its headquarters, where it will be dismantled until next year.