『Gion Festival: Where Spirituality Meets Sustainability』by Catherine Pawasarat

【Part 1】Talk Event

Did you know that the Gion Festival is one of the world’s oldest and most successful experiments in spiritual sustainability? This year there are major festival changes: the Great Ship Float (Oofune Boko) destroyed by fire in 1864 is being relaunched, along with pre- and post-festival processions on July 17 and 24. Let spiritual teacher, environmental journalist and Gion expert Catherine Pawasarat guide you through the intricacies of the festival’s fascinating spiritual legacy and its latest iteration, bringing together 1100 years of tradition with contemporary Japanese technology and sustainability practices.

【Part 2】Gion Festival Tour

Join us for a unique, 90-minute insiders’ tour of the festival floats from 8pm, for an additional 1500 yen fee. Come with us for a simple and delicious soba supper in true Kyoto style (price of dinner not included) following the HUB Kyoto presentation event, or meet us at 8pm sharp on the NW corner of Shijyo Karasuma (Shijo station on the subway : Exit No.22/24) for a rare glimpse of a truly floating world — with Japan’s definitive Gion Festival aficionado and expert Catherine Pawasarat as your personal guide!

Profile:

Catherine Pawasarat is the creator of gionfestival.com. Catherine’s lifelong love affair with Kyoto began right after she graduated from Columbia University in 1989. With over two decades living in Japan as a journalist, writer, editor and intepreter, Catherine lived in the heart of the Gion Festival neighborhood. Her reporting on the Festival has focused on everything from the role of women in the festival to the heritage textiles that first piqued her interest in one of the world’s oldest living cultural legacies.

◉Date & Time

Saturday, July 12

【Part Ⅰ】　5pm – 6:15pm

【Part Ⅱ】   8pm – 9:30pm

☆Catherine is planning to have a SOBA dinner between the part 1 and part 2. If you would like to join the dinner, please let me know.

◉Participation Fee

【Part 1】 :1,500yen

【Part  2】:1,500yen

◉RSV

Contact ; [email protected] with the following info.

Event part you will join, your name, phone number, e-mail address, numbers of people joining the event with you.