HOSHINOYA Kyoto has announced that this summer it will hold its Kyo no Ohayashibune boat-riding service which allows one group of guests to rent a boat on which they will ride down the Ōi River and enjoy a traditional musical performance while tucking into some chimaki bamboo-wrapped cake, a confection seen only during the run of Kyoto’s Gion Matsuri festival.
Experience 1: Traditional hayashi orchestra aboard a Heian aristocratic boat
One group of guests will board their rented boat at Togetsu Bridge and be taken down the river where they can enjoy the verdant expanse of the valley while listening to a traditional Japanese Gion hayashi musical performance. The Ōi River was formerly a river boated down by Heian nobles who would have waka poetry and orchestral music performed to them on board. HOSHINOYA Kyoto guests will also be able to feel like a Heian aristocrat with this exclusive experience.
Experience 2: The sounds of Konchi Kichin
Konchi kichin is another Japanese term to express Gion hayashi musical performance. These performances are composed of Japanese gongs, flutes, and taiko drums, which are played on yamaboko floats by several dozen people during processions at the Gion Festival. The boat ride will recreate this experience so guests can enjoy the performance more up close as well as learn how to play the gong.
Experience 3: A taste of chimaki
Guests will be able to feel like they are at the Gion Festival by kicking back and enjoying a cup of green tea together with a chimaki, a traditional bamboo-wrapped cake that’s only served at the festival. These cakes are often used to decorate the entrances of people’s houses in Kyoto to ward off illness and disasters.
Gion Matsuri is one of Japan’s three biggest festivals. It has been around for over 1,000 years and last a month. When July hits, the Japanese Gion hayashi orchestras begin popping up around the city signalling the start of the festival. It’s a summer tradition of Kyoto and one which can now be enjoyed on board a special boat experience.
Information
HOSHINOYA Kyoto – “Kyo no Ohayashibune”
Japanese Service Name: 星のや京都「京のお囃子舟（はやしぶね）」
Running: July 2021 (July 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 30th, and 31st)
Times: 17:30-18:30
Boarding Point: HOSHINOYA Kyoto
Notes: Guests only
Bookings: https://hoshinoya.com/kyoto/
*Bookings must be made 3 days in advance
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