The "Yamahoko Junko," or parade of festival floats, in the Gion Festival, one of the three major festivals in Japan, proceeded through downtown Kyoto on July 17 under clear summer skies announcing the rainy season's end. This was the first procession to take place since it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Huge crowds were gathered along the streets of the ancient capital to see the procession of the 32 floats, decorated in magnificent splendor and which are also called "a moveable museum," and accompanied by "Gion-bayashi" festival music.

"En-yara-ya!" At the signal call, Naginata Hoko, the parade's leading float, headed east from Shijo-dori Karasuma with its wheels squeaking at just past 9:00a.m. As they passed Shijo Fuyacho, the "Chigo" or sacred child, swung down a long sword to cut the "Shimenawa" rope stretched between "Imitake," or bamboo for use in a ritual, and huge cheers broke out from the roadside crowd.

The more than 10-ton floats made "Tsujimawashi," or 90-degree turns, at crossroads such as Shijo Kawaramachi and Kawaramachi Oike. "Kurumakata" men sprinkled water over green bamboo spread across the road surface, led the wheels on it, and dynamically turned the floats.

This year's procession took place on Saturday, and the roads were lined with approximately 200,000 people, or 70,000 more than the previous year, according to Kyoto Prefectural Police. Spectators intently watched each parade float go by in the heat that had reached 32.4 degrees Celsius at 1:00p.m.