Observations: Gion Matsuri Festival, Unique Walks

From my journal entry while people watching at the Gion Matsuri Festival in Kyoto Japan, 7/15/2025. I was writing as I was observing, and much like my mind, the writing may feel like it is jumping around. I often write whatever I am thinking in the moment. I wanted to keep this as authentic as possible so I chose not to edit my writing to flow better like I usually would. I just thought this was interesting and wanted to share my observations with you all. Thank you for reading.)

“People have distinct walks. Some have long fluid strides. I’ve seen many short and purposeful gaits. Feet hurried as if being chased.

Friends tend to walk in sync. Each foot in perfect cadence as if rehearsed.

Going back to the hurried steps, it is most often single persons. They walk with their gazes fixed straight ahead, sliding through the festival traffic as if they were in a state of hypnosis.

Strangely enough, the couples are less in sync.

No matter how in love they appear, their feet are always off, even if it’s just by a hair. The couples with linked arms are off the most. It appears men’s feet are always slower in stride than their counterpart.

Three School Girls

Three girls (not as in sync as some of the friend groups I’ve seen) just passed us. I’m unsure what stood out to me the most.

They looked nearly identical with the main trait difference being their varied heights. They wore matching schoolgirl uniforms with button up white tops and blue and green plaid skirts. Finally, they had matching backpacks. All black with an overflow of plushies littered on the sides of their bags.

Families

There are so many families here and it always lightens my spirits see their dynamics.

Let me paint the picture.

Children swinging their heels against their papa’s shoulders.

Little girls giggling in their yukatas with light up sketchers.

A little boy held in his daddy’s arms looks in the direction of his dad’s finger as it points at the adjacent food stalls.

A family cackling after the dad photobombed his kids’ picture with a makeshift puffer fish face.

3 old friends or some other close relation waddle down the street, smiles plastered on each face. 2 men and 1 woman.

Surprisingly, it’s not very loud. The boisterous guffaws I’m used to at events like this are small and almost jarring in this crowd. The noise is constant but leveled. Everyone seems to be speaking at the same tone.

The noise is so level that it can almost be likened to white noise with occasional sounds like a child crying or some teens shouting in shock breaking through.”

7/15/2025, 21:23, Gion Matsuri Festival.

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