Gion Matsuri was restored to its former glory in 2014, almost 50 years after its two processions were merged into one. Again one parade precedes the deities' journey from the shrine to their ...

But Japan’s biggest summer festival, the month-long Gion Festival, is probably the most famous of them all.

Spectators in the seats can get a close look at the float procession, called “Yamahoko Junko,” and the turns during the Saki Matsuri (the first climactic part of the Gion Festival) on July 17.

Eleven floats will participate in Yamahoko Junko of the Ato Matsuri (the latter climactic part) on July 24. The Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three largest festivals, returned to its normal form ...