A Parade of Pictures: An Examination of the Illustrated Evolution of Gion Matsuri Throughout Japanese History

Abstract

This study of the Japanese festival known as Gion Matsuri examines a range of images, from seventeenth century painted screens of the capital and its environs to early twentieth century woodblock prints, based on their political and economic relationship with society. By viewing the illustrations through a political lens, in contrast to previous scholarship that focused on the religious evolution of the celebration, I show how the Japanese government utilized images of a traditional festival to bolster its authority over the city of Kyoto. Through iconographical and iconological analysis, I found that representations of the festival were directly tied to shifts in political eras throughout history and, in some cases, they functioned as false claims of prosperity. I also consider the impact Westernization had on the portrayal of the Matsuri. The incorporation of Western style features and imagery into the images aligns with the transformation of the festival from a religious celebration into a contemporary tourist and commercial holiday experience.