ROKU KYOTO to Host Special Gion Festival Yamahoko Procession Viewing Program in July 2026

ROKU KYOTO, LXR Hotels & Resorts, located in Kita-ku, Kyoto and led by General Manager Masashi Araki, will host a Special Yamahoko Procession Viewing Program on Friday, July 17 and Friday, July 24, 2026. The program offers more than a chance to view the Gion Festival, a symbol of Kyoto’s history and traditional culture. Guests will also be invited to deeply experience Kyoto traditions together with maiko from Kamishichiken, Kyoto’s oldest geiko district, and artisans from Tsujikura, Japan’s oldest traditional Japanese umbrella maker. ROKU KYOTO is a luxury hotel located on the historic site where Hon’ami Koetsu, one of the founders of the Rinpa school, established an artists’ village. The hotel values passing down the artistic culture and craftsmanship inherited since the early Edo period, and this program embodies that philosophy. Program highlights include comfortable indoor viewing from a special fifth-floor seat in Kyoto Kawaramachi, where guests can also see the tsuji-mawashi turning ritual and enjoy the lavish floats often described as a “moving museum”; hospitality by maiko from Kamishichiken through ozashiki games and dance performances; a craft experience making a one-of-a-kind miniature Japanese umbrella, known as a hime wagasa, under the guidance of artisans from Tsujikura, founded in 1690; bilingual explanations in Japanese and English covering the history and highlights of the Gion Festival; and a special souvenir, the yakuyoke chimaki amulet, presented by members of the yamahoko communities. The program will be held on July 17, 2026 for the Saki Matsuri and July 24, 2026 for the Ato Matsuri. It runs from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., from hotel departure to scheduled return, with the option to end at the venue. The viewing location is Kyoto Kawaramachi. The fee is 150,000 yen per person, including tax and service charge, and participation is limited to staying guests of ROKU KYOTO. Private bookings are also available upon inquiry. A 100% cancellation fee will apply from June 1, 2026. Kamishichiken, located near ROKU KYOTO in the temple town of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, is the oldest of Kyoto’s five geiko districts. Through performances such as Kitano Odori, it continues to convey Japanese traditional culture today. Maiko, dressed in brilliant kimono, obi and hair ornaments, refine their skills in dance, song, shamisen and hospitality every day. Through ozashiki games and performances, guests can enjoy the distinctive elegance of Kyoto, where the Gion Festival and geiko district culture resonate together. Tsujikura, founded in 1690, is Japan’s oldest traditional Japanese umbrella maker. Its wagasa are made from materials such as bamboo and washi paper through more than 100 processes, and historically were displayed as objects for warding off misfortune. Guests will select and combine materials while receiving explanations from artisans, creating their own one-of-a-kind hime wagasa and encountering the delicacy of Japanese craftsmanship. The yakuyoke chimaki distributed at Gion Festival yamahoko floats is an amulet made of bamboo leaves to ward off misfortune. In Kyoto, it is customary to display these chimaki at entrances and other places to keep calamity away. On July 17, guests will receive one from the Funeboko community, and on July 24 from the Kita Kannon-yama community. ROKU KYOTO was inspired by the spirit of the historic artists’ village once found in Takagamine, a place where Kyoto artists gathered and fostered a distinctive culture. Located at the foot of the three Takagamine mountains, with the Tenjin River flowing through its grounds, the hotel is surrounded by a serene natural environment. Under the tagline “Dive into Kyoto,” it invites guests into a deeper, more essential Kyoto experience through the city’s history, culture and nature. Since opening in 2021, the hotel will mark its fifth anniversary in September 2026, with various programs planned from June onward.