Japanese Print By Tokuriki: Gion Festival On July 17

From the set: The Four Seasons of Kyoto
Shin-Hanga
Nishiki-e
Very fine and fresh proof bearing the artist's red stamp and signed in pencil
Ca.1950

The Gion Matsuri in Kyoto is one of the three largest local festivals in Japan. The other two are the Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo and the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka. The Gion Matsuri can be considered the largest and most spectacular. It is held every year from July 1 to 31 for the celebration of the summer solstice at the Yasaka Jinja shrine. The two key dates of this celebration are July 17 (Saki Matsuri or pre-festival) and July 24 (Ato Matsuri or post-festival) when all thirty-four floats wind through the main streets of the city. Its origins date back to the plague of 869. The emperor sent a special messenger to Yasaka Jinja, the old name of the Gion shrine reputed to house the spirit of the brother of the sun goddess supposed to fight this evil, to pray and ordered him to do so to erect sixty-six halberds representing the sixty-six provinces of the country. The epidemic stopped, the inhabitants of Kyoto decided from 970, in gratitude, to organize a festival every year.

Subject width: 247.00
Subject height: 283.00
Sheet width: 278.00
Sheet height: 300.00