Instrumentalists Pray for Safety at Forthcoming Gion Matsuri Festival; Group Set to Perform on Float During Event

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:56 JST, June 17, 2024

A group of instrumentalists, or hayashigata, make a musical offering at Kiyomizudera temple, a World Heritage site, in Kyoto on Sunday evening. The group prayed for safety at the upcoming Gion Matsuri festival by performing a piece inspired by the legend of a dragon, an incarnation of the Kannon deity, which flies to a waterfall in the temple grounds to drink water, prior to appearing on a float at the festival in July. Elegant sounds filled the air as the group performed using traditional Japanese musical instruments, such as drums and small hand gongs.