Controversy Hits Kyoto’s Famed Gion Festival over High-Priced Spectator Seats; Shrine’s Chief Priest Says Festival is ‘Ritual,’ not ‘Show’
16:01 JST, June 14, 2024
KYOTO — A conflict over the selling of “premium seats” for Kyoto’s famed Gion Festival has led the chief priest of the shrine that puts on the festival to consider resigning from his seat on the board of directors of the Kyoto City Tourism Association, it has been learned.
Akiyoshi Nomura, the 65-year-old chief priest of the Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward, has expressed his intention to step down in protest of the association’s offering of high-priced tickets in a prime viewing spot to watch the Gion Festival’s procession of extravagant floats, called “Yamahoko-Junko.”
The premium seats were introduced by the association last year and include alcoholic beverages and servings of shaved ice. According to the shrine, Nomura said that the procession is “a Shinto ritual, not a show to be watched while enjoying alcoholic beverages.”
On Tuesday, the association started selling tickets for 60 premium seats for the July 17 procession priced at ¥150,000 and ¥200,000.
According to the shrine, Nomura began regarding the issue as a problem from last year, when ¥400,000 seats were introduced targeting deep-pocketed tourists from overseas, although the price was reduced after a review this summer.
“We need to confirm his true motives,” a member of the association said. “There is still room to reconsider the contents of the service.”
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Neko Pitcher
-
Cosplayers Enjoy Skiing, Snowboarding for Free at Ski Resort’s Opening Day on Mt. Fuji; Earliest Opening for Ski Resort This Season in Japan
-
VR Guide Lets Visitors See Lost Scenes at Kofukuji Temple; Tourists Can Use Smartphones to View Original Architecture of Nara Pref. Complex
-
Rarely Seen Japanese Cultural Properties Temporarily Open to Public in Kyoto; Seasonal Event Taking Place at 28 Locations Around Prefecture
-
Tori-no-Ichi Fair Begins at Tokyo Shrine; Traditional Celebration in Asakusa Invites Prosperity for Business Owners
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Streaming Services Boost Anime Popularity Overseas; Former ‘Geeky’ Interest More Beloved Among Gen Z than 3 Major U.S. Sports
- G20 Sees Soft Landing for Global Economy; Leaders Pledge to Resist Protectionism as Trump Calls for Imported Goods Flat Tariff
- Malaysia Growing in Popularity as Destination for Studying Abroad; British-style Education Available at Low Cost
- ‘Women Over 30 Would Have Uteruses Removed’; Remarks of CPJ Leader, Novelist Naoki Hyakuta Get Wide Attention
- Typhoon Kong-rey to Reach South of Japan’s Okinawa on Thursday; JWA Urges High Alert for Strong Winds, Heavy Rain