祇園祭は、千百年の伝統を有する八坂神社の祭礼です。
古くは、祇園御霊会（ごりょうえ）と呼ばれ、貞観１１年（８６９）に京の都をはじめ日本各地に疫病が流行したとき、「これは祇園牛頭天王の祟りである」として、平安京の広大な庭園であった神泉苑に、当時の国の数−６６ヶ国にちなんで６６本の鉾を立て、祇園の神を祭り、さらに神輿をも送って、災厄の除去を祈ったことにはじまります。　
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　７月１日の吉符入りからほぼ１ヶ月にわたり、東山区八坂神社や中京区や下京区の山鉾町（鉾や山を出す町）などで行う諸行事の総称。日本三大祭の一つ一般には１７日の山鉾巡行とその前日の宵山が有名。本来は祇園御霊会または祇園会と呼ばれ、平安期の貞観１１年(８６９)疫病が流行した時、その退散を祈願して長さ２丈ほどの矛６６本を立てたのが始まりという。
　天禄元年（970）以降『毎年の儀』となり、長保元年（９９９）には雑芸者の無骨が大嘗会の標山に似た作山をつけって行列に加わったのが現代の山の起源とされる。もとは手で棒でた鉾に台と車がつき、また山も趣向がこらされて、南北朝期からほぼ今のような形態の山鉾になったと見られる。
　室町期に入ると祭りの中心は神輿・馬長・田楽などから山鉾に移り、その後も年ごとに増え、１５世紀中頃には総数５８基に達したが、応仁の乱で中断。乱後２０年を経た明応５年（１４９６）に再興の機運が生じ、この頃から官祭的性格を脱し、町衆の手で行うようになる。同９年には先祭２６基、後祭１０基の山鉾が巡行。安土桃山期から江戸初期にかけて盛大になり、その様子は当時の祇園祭礼図屏風や洛中洛外図屏風などにうかがえる。
また、その頃山鉾町周辺の町町が特定の屋、真鉾の寄町となり、地口米という一種の賦課金を出して山鉾の経費を援助する寄待制度が確立、明治維新まで続いた。
　江戸期には宝永・天明の大火による被害もあったがよく復興され、その装飾品もベルギー製毛綴（タペストリー）やペルシャ・トルコ・中国などの緞通、精巧な飾金具など今日みるような豪華なものとなった。
　昭和１８年、戦争のため山鉾巡行が注しとなるが、戦後同２２年に復活、同３１年・３６年の巡行コース変更（松原通りから御池通りへ）、同４１年から先祭(１７日)と後祭(２４日)の合同巡行など祭りの形態に大きな変革をみる一方、２８年の菊水鉾再建をはじめ綾傘鉾・蟷螂山などが再興され、現在は総数３２基の山鉾が四条通から河原町通り、御池通りへと順行する。山鉾行事は国の重要無形民俗文化財。

淡交社『京都大事典』より
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■Gion Matsuri (Gion Festival)
The Gion (pronounced as ［gi o n］)Maturi is one of the three largest local matsuris (festivals) in Japan.  The oter two are the Kanda Matsuri in Tokyo and Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka.
 The Gion Matsuri lasts from July 1 to 29 as the midsummer celebration of Yasaka Shrine.  The highlight of this celebration takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 17th of July when the parade of 32 floats make their way along the main streets of the city.  All of Kyoto is in festive mood during this period.  The period from the Junko(the grand parade) to Gozan-Okuribi (Bon-fire)is the high summer in Kyoto.

History :In 869 Emperor Seiwa dispatched his special messenger to Yasaka Shrine to erect 66 halberds representing the 66 provinces of the country.  The festival became a regular annual event from 970.  After many interruptions caused by civil wars in 12th and 16th century, the basic style of festival we see today was from in 15th century and the present scale and splendor emerged in the 16th century. From around the 15th century the festival was carried out by towns people of Kyoto (Machi-shu) who accumulated powers through trade and commercial activities.
 After 4 years interruption Gion Matsuri resumed in 1947, and changed its route in the city in 1956 and 1961 and jointed two parades (originally on 17th and 24th of July). 

Town people’s festival : While maintaining the basic element as a prayer against illness, the Gion matsuri is the festive event of the year for towns folk and an occasion to reconfirm their pride, traition, power, and solidarity as townspeople. Theentire festival today is organized by the townspeople. Each float (hoko or yama) represents certain part of the city and is owned, maintained, supported, manned and paraded by the specific town(s).

One month festival : Although the parade on 17th july is the climax of the festival, Gin Matsuri is a huge festival that starts on July 1th and continues for month.
1 Kippu-iri (townspeople’s meeting)
2 Kujitori (drawing lots to decide the order of the parade of the floats in the presence to the mayor.  The Naginata (halberd or long sword) float has fixed 1st place, hence Kujitirazu, or no-lotting.)
10 evening Omukae-Chochin (the shrine parishioners welcome Mikoshi (sacred carriages of shrine by hoisting lanterns on long bamboo poles.)
10 night Mikoshi-Arai (the rite of purification of Mikoshi alongside the waters of the Kamogawa River near Shijo Bridge by the chief priest of the Shrine.)
10-11 Hoko-tate (building up hoko-floats)
13-14 Yama-tate (building up yama-floats)
13-16 Gion Bayashi.  Floats and their town roads are decorated with festival lanterns and floats’ musical group play Hhayashi (chants), which are also played at the parade with the rhythm of “Kon-chiki-chin” Kane (metal bowl like instrument) is usually plaued by boys, flute and drum by adult men. Gion Bayashi is no doubt the sound of summer in Kyoto.  Hayashi Kata (musical group) is usually composed of two drum, 8 flute and 8 kane players.  Although thirty different somgs exist only twenty are played today.
16 evening Yoi-yama (Eve, people gather to enjoy lighted floats and their treasures displayed)
17 Yamahoko-Junko (the Grand Parade)
17 late afternoon Shinko-Sai (Procession of Sacred Carriage, temporarily stay at Otabisho on Shijo dori until 24.)
24 Kanko-Sai (the sacred carriage return to Yasaka Shrine.)

Byobu Matsuri : A few day preceding the parade people who live in the downtown area or along the route of procession open thir homes and exhibit their family treasures to passersby who are touring the city to inspect floats in the Eve of the parade.  The treasures at display have been handed down to family through generations.  Hence the festival is also called Byobu Matsuri, the Screen festival.

Yama and Hoko : The hoko (halberd, later used in religious ceremony) float each carry a Hayashi (festival music) players of about 40-50 members. (Among yama floats, Iwato-yama, Kitakannon-yama, Minamikannon-yama all have the same style as hoko, but can be recognized as yama by the pine tree on the top) Hoko weigh about 12 tons with a height of 25 meters (roof top is about 8 metes high). Diameter of wheel is 2 meters and length of carriage body is 4.5 meters.  The assembling and disassembling process takes about five day and requirs 35 men per day.  Hoko is pulled by 30 to 50 people (Hikiko), with two Ondori (conduct the movement of hikiko) and four Yanekata (who stand on roof and control the move of the upper pole or Masaki, and pilot when parading narrow streets.).
 Yama which carries a pine tree on its top is another type of float.  They weigh 1.2 to 1.6 tons and are pulled by 14 to 24 people. Large size Yama are similar in style to hoko, afloat of more developed structure.
 Some of the roofing decorations and tapestries covering the carriages are “Juyobunkazai” (designated as “important cultural property” by the government). Some of tapestries were made in Belgian, Persia and Turkey during the 14th and 15th century.

Yamahoko-Junko : The grand parade of floats.  The parade begins with “Ochgosan” (a boy, selected from towns people of Naginata hoko, wear decorative kimono and sit on the front seat of the float during the parade) cutting arope attached to the Naginata-hoko by sword.  Each hoko or yama must present their lot to the Mayor to show that their float is in the correct order.  This ceremony is called “Kujiaratame” or presenting of lot and each town has its own formalities for presentations.  Towns people who are the main organizers and supporters of each float wear “Kamishimo” (kimono worn on formal occasion) and walk in front of hoko or yama.  Each hoko or yama has its own tunes for Hayashi played during the procession.
  The fun part of the parade is “Tsujimawashi” .  To enable the hoko to turn more easily when going round corners, wet bamboo is laid under the wheels.  The float is then pulled almost on a 90 degree angle right angle to make it slide on the wet bamboo and change direction.

Relationship with Shinto and Yasaka-shrine : Shinto is Japan’s indigenous religion.  It is a loosely structured set of practices, creeds, and attitudes rooted in local communities. The worship of “Kami” or divinity slowly emerged at the dawn of Japanese history and was established as an imperial religious system during Nara (8th century) and Heian (8 to 12th century), and was in constant interaction with Buddhism and Confucianism.
  Yasaka Shrine (its old name was Gion-sha) is a shinto shrine, the main divinity enshrined is Susano-no-mikoto (the brother of the Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology.) Gion is the name of the ancient Buddist monastry built for Buddha and his sect in India.