One of Japan’s biggest and oldest events, the month-long Gion Matsuri summer festival is in full swing in Kyoto. The city hosts a parade called Yamaboko Junko where residents and tourists gather in downtown Kyoto to see the 23 decorative floats. The festival started as a sort of purification ritual for the appeasement of Gods to protect them from fire, floods and earthquakes – which Japan is highly prone to.