The Gion Festival: Warding Off Epidemics
Channel: The Gion Festival
Date: 31/12/2021

Did you know the Gion Matsuri's original purpose was to ward off epidemics? Amidst covid, this objective invites closer scrutiny. How did people design the festival to try to make it effective? Have a watch, and comment on what you think might or might not actually work to dispel illness and other harm. Like and subscribe if you enjoy the vid so more people can enjoy and learn about Kyoto's Gion Festival. 
Thanks to the presentation's sponsors, the UK-based Japan Society North West and the Japan English Teachers' Alumni Association UK.

Video Topics:
0:00 The Gion Festival: Warding Off Epidemics
0:28 Catherine's background with the Gion Festival
2:41 Gion Festival textile collection; Women musicians debut
4:04 Catherine’s evolution: how her attitude shaped her experience of the Gion Festival
7:14 History: First ever Gion Festival
8:11 Rainy season & epidemics, “the summer sickness”
9:45 Climate change
11:08 Recap & supplication to the gods to end the epidemics
12:00 Transforming vengeful spirits into helpful ones through our virtue (ex: Sugawara no Michizane/Tenjin)
14:36 The Gohei - Shinto devices for purification
14:50 Modern psychology & transforming the shadow, the “golden shadow"
15:36 Gion Festival as gigantic Shinto ritual
17:13 The Shingi poles: communicating with other realms
18:41 Mikoshi: portable shrines for main festival deities
19:27 Festival rituals, float preparations, purifying potential illness
20:27 Sakaki leaves ritual
20:59 Yamabushi chant the Heart Sutra 
21:48 Purifying hoops and fire pujas
22:16 Naginata Boko (first float) and tradition of chigo (child mediums)
23:15 Origins of Gion Festival music; links with noh theater.
24:10 Float musicians and patrons and altered states
26:51 Healing with diverse spiritual elements and plant medicine
30:46 The blue dragon of the east
31:25 Catherine’s book—“The Gion Festival: Exploring Its Mysteries” 
32:31 Personal transformation and cultural participation

If you like the video, give a thumbs up and subscribe! 好きでしたらライクやサブスクライブしてくださいね。Help us grow awareness of Kyoto's spectacular Gion Festival and support its sustainability. 京都の世界的なレベルで素晴らしい祇園祭についての意識と継続可能性を支援する目標で、そのため一緒にサポットしましょう。Learn more from my book or website. Details below. 詳細については英語になりますが、下に内の本かウエブサイトまで。
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"The Gion Festival: Exploring Its Mysteries" is the first comprehensive English guidebook on this 1150+-year-old festival. It intimately covers this World Heritage Event with stunning photos of priceless artwork, plus explanations of legends and esoteric secrets. Discover insider details on the Gion Festival community, including, spiritual, cultural, and artistic contexts that are not available anywhere else in English.
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Learn more and get free excerpts from the book here: https://www.gionfestival.org/book

Buy the Book
In paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998588695
eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MQV8Y65

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GionFestival.org is the world’s best free resource on Kyoto’s famous 1150+-year-old Gion Festival.

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