In Japan, the Gion Matsuri festival brings towering floats to the streets in Shinto religious processions that are rooted in rituals dating back more than 1,000 years and that were intended to ward off epidemics

In Japan, the Gion Matsuri festival brings towering floats to the streets in Shinto religious processions that are rooted in rituals dating back more than 1,000 years and that…

Gion Matsuri originated in the late 9th century as a ritual to appease spirits believed to cause epidemics and to pray for protection from disease.

KYOTO (AP) — There’s a special moment when Katsushi Horikawa feels closer to the gods. It comes as he rides atop one of the towering floats pulled through the streets in a…