KYOTO--Tourism officials here are offering premium seats for 400,000 yen ($2,870) each that provide an up-close view of the traditional Gion Festival’s massive float parade on July 17.

The parade’s organizer, the Gion Festival Yamahoko Association, based in Kyoto’s Nakagyo Ward, made the decision on April 20 at a meeting with 34 local float-preservation associations.