Core Kyoto narrator Gary Tegler gets a close-up look at the Gion Matsuri, which began over 1,000 years ago, as he unravels the mystery of the decorations and meets the foreign volunteers.

Eleven floats will participate in Yamahoko Junko of the Ato Matsuri (the latter climactic part) on July 24. The Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three largest festivals, returned to its normal form ...