An outstanding history of one of the most important festivals in Japan. Situating the Gion Festival firmly within the social and political history of the ancient capital of Kyoto, Mark Teeuwen paints a dramatic picture of how the structure, sponsorship and meanings of the Gion matsuri have changed over the centuries. This vibrant history should be of interest to scholars of festivals, cities, historical change and contemporary rituals.

Sarah Thal, Professor of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

[Kyoto's Gion Festival] presents in detail ... how different interest groups influenced the development of the Gion festival, and by doing so, it sheds light on nationwide political and religious processes that have been reforming, time and again, Japanese society and the shifting self-understanding of its people.

Lehel Balogh, Hokkaido University, Japan, Religious Studies Review