Practice of Gion Festival Music in the Community
It's July. The Gion festival (祇園祭) has begun. At the Iwatoyama (岩戸山) float community where I live, the symbol lanterns are lit at the eaves of a famous restaurant within our community. The practice of Nikai Bayashi (二階囃子, Gion festival music unique to each float) has begun too. After the Kippu-iri (吉符入り, the ceremony for the commencement of the festival), each community conducts the practice of their traditionally inherited music at the second floor of their meeting place. Si