On July 15, 2023, the Gion Matsuri celebrated the Yoiyoiyama of the Saki Matsuri. The city center of Kyoto, where a total of 23 yama and hoko floats stand, was filled with a large number of citizens and tourists on the first day of the three-day holiday. To prevent traffic accidents, the Kyoto Prefectural Police deployed security vehicles at intersections for the first time to guide the flow of people.
At 6 p.m., a section of Shijo-dori and Karasuma-dori became a pedestrian-only road (pedestrian heaven), and stalls lined up along Karasuma-dori. Two police officers stood on top of a turret installed on the roof of a two-meter-high security vehicle and called out in Japanese and English, "Please proceed slowly," and "Shijo-dori is a one-way street on the left."
This year, measures against the new coronavirus were eased, and the event was held as usual for the first time in four years. At Yamabushiyama along Muromachi-dori Street, which will be the "mountain first" parade on July 17, a queue started forming about 30 minutes before the morning chimaki started, and the chimaki for that day sold out in about 15 minutes. At the Tsukihoko and Kanko floats on Shijo-dori, there were lines of people waiting to see and board the floats, and many foreign tourists were taking pictures of the floats and musical accompaniment.
According to the Kyoto Prefectural Police, about 280,000 people turned out as of 9:30 p.m., about 30,000 more than last year.
