Niwatori Boko embodies a celebration of peace. In ancient China, the legendary Emperor Yao (ca. 2300 B.C.E.) ordered a large drum placed in the center of town, instructing residents to beat the drum in case of a complaint. His reign was so tranquil that eventually chickens nested inside the drum, manifesting a symbol of peace. “Niwatori” means “chicken, and this float celebrates that peacefulness. Niwatori Boko’s 17th-century Gobelin tapestry is an Important Cultural Property, and float records show that the tapestry was purchased in 1815 for 200 ryō. One ryō was worth the equivalent of enough rice to feed a person for a year.

The tales the Gion Festival tapestries could tell: though no records exist, evidence indicates that they were acquired on an international diplomatic mission sent by Sendai daimyō Date Masamune in the early 1600s. Visiting the Philippines, New Spain (Mexico) and Europe, and meeting personages including the King of Spain and the Pope, the tapestries were most likely gifts from the same to the “King of Japan.”