This festival is one of the most popular in Japan. Every year around mid-July, people come from all over the country to attend the festivities, which are centered around two parades held one week apart.
Twenty-three wooden floats are assembled a few days before the first procession. The construction sites are scattered across the city center streets, which are partially or completely closed to traffic. Traditional music groups perform, street vendors set up, outdoor seating appears in front of shops and restaurants, and crowds stroll around in kimonos, grab a bite to eat, and admire the floats.
The larger ones are on axles and can be toured, while the smaller ones have no wheels and will be carried on men’s shoulders. They are all richly decorated, each connected to a historic neighborhood of the city and associated with a deity or a specific theme. One is shaped like a boat, another is adorned with a bronze dragon. Some display tapestries from Europe, gifts from the past. There are constants: the number of floats and their appearance remain the same from year to year, and all the assembly sites are illuminated with paper lanterns.
On the day of the procession, all the floats begin to move, meet on Shijo-dori, and make a tour of the neighborhood before being disassembled. New floats are then built in preparation for the second parade.
For historical details, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion_Matsuri