Origin of the Gion Matsuri

Timeline

1. 869Heian-kyo · JapanIn 869 an epidemic spread in Heian-kyo, killing many; both court and commoners sought religious means to avert the disaster, providing the direct impetus for holding a goryo-e.
2. 869Gion-sha · JapanThe court held a goryo-e at Gion-sha, with a procession of the sacred object and offerings and prayers to quell the plague. According to documents such as the Nihon Ryoi-ki, this was the beginning of the Gion goryo-e, which later developed into the Gion Matsuri held every July.
3. 869–900Gion district, Heian-kyo · JapanThe goryo-e gradually became a regular ritual in the Heian period, with elements such as the yamaboko procession taking shape; the Gion Matsuri, Japan's most representative urban festival, traces its origins to the plague-averting ritual of 869.