In the middle of July, during the hottest time in Kyoto, there is a big festival, Gion Festival, across multiple days with two parades.
PARADES!
When the temperature is guaranteed to be 35C or more. I don’t get it.
Thankfully, the festival have some things happening in the evening when it is still way too hot (it doesn’t cool off except for a couple of degrees), but at least no sun beats down on my head.
So off I went with a friend.
The evening activity is something that happens the three nights leading up to each parade. The parade floats are set up and illuminated. Around this are food stall, souvenir stalls, and some shrine stalls.
I went during the days before the second parade, a much smaller event, with almost no food stalls and very few people. A huge point in its favor because leading up to the first/bigger parade, the evening events are usually packed.
And since it is summer, I cap this post with a picture of some really pretty ice cream that can be bought in the Kawaramachi area in Kyoto. I don’t know if the waffle cone is hand made, but the decorations are, and the soft ice cream (lemon flavored for me) was delicious.
It was so yummy.
