The Gion Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals, began on July 1, 2026. At Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward, the *chigo* (sacred child) of the Naginata-hoko float—stationed on Shijo-dori Street in Shimogyo Ward—participated in the "Ochendo-no-gi" ritual to pray for the festival's safe conduct.
Around 10:00 a.m. that day, Kotaro Hase (8 years old)—wearing traditional white face makeup with touches of red—visited the main hall to worship, accompanied by his *kamuro* (child attendants) Kyosuke Hase (9 years old) and Keita Tsukiji (9 years old).
Kotaro Hase performed the ritual with excellent posture, clad in the same costume his grandfather, Mikio Hase (78 years old), had worn when he served as the *chigo* in 1957.
After undergoing a purification rite, he circled the main hall three times with officials from the Naginata-hoko Preservation Society and his family, clasping his hands in prayer for the festival's safety.
This day also marked the start of *Kippu-iri*, the initial Shinto ritual for the various *yama-hoko* float neighborhoods, signaling the time when the sounds of *Gion-bayashi* music begin to drift from the second floors of the neighborhood association halls—a practice known as *Nikai-bayashi*. The Gion Festival continues until July 31, featuring a wide array of Shinto rituals and events held at various locations throughout the period.
