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July 16th • Ancient Traditions

Gion Matsuri (Kyoto, Japan)

One of the most famous and historical festivals in Japan. Every July, Kyoto transforms as massive, multi-story wooden parade floats (Yamaboko) are pulled through the streets by hand. It’s a 1,100-year-old tradition that survived wars, fires, and modernisation. How does an ancient city balance its history with the noise and chaos of the 21st century?

A traditional Japanese float representing the Gion Matsuri festival

Speaking Discussion

  • Why do communities spend millions of dollars and months of labour to build temporary parade floats that are only used for a few days?
  • Would you enjoy pulling a massive, multi-ton wooden cart through the city streets in the extreme summer heat?
  • How does Kyoto manage to stay a modern city while hosting a massive, 1,100-year-old festival every year?
  • What is the oldest continuing tradition or event in your own local area? Is it still popular?
  • If you visited Japan, would you rather see the neon lights and robots of Tokyo, or the ancient temples and festivals of Kyoto?
  • Should ancient traditions be updated with modern technology (like LED lights and motors), or should they stay exactly the same forever?

Activity 1: The Mayor's Dilemma

The Task: You are the Mayor of Kyoto. The city is too crowded, and some modern businesses want to cancel the festival parade to keep the traffic moving.

Defend the festival. Explain why history is more valuable than traffic.

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Japan

Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.

  • "The most beautiful thing about an old city is..."
  • "If I could travel back 1,000 years, the first thing I would look at is..."
  • "A country without traditions is like..."