今年は4年ぶりに様々な夏の恒例行事が開催されました。祇園祭では、焼け付く太陽の元、華やかな山車が京都の町を巡行しました。
The Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three largest festivals, returned to its normal form for the first time in four years as novel coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.
Under the blaze of the scorching sun, 23 elaborately decorated floats paraded through downtown streets here on July 17 in the climax of the Gion Festival.
The exquisite floats are collectively known as “museums on the move.” 「動く美術館」
※float 浮かぶ／名詞で浮いたもの（いかだ、救命具）街路を練り歩く屋台、山車
※exquisite見事な
先頭を行く長刀鉾に乗るお稚児さんが真剣で、四条通に渡されたしめ縄を切る行事からはじまります。
Monday’s parade started around 9 a.m., led by the naginatahoko float carrying a child acting as a divine messenger.(神の使い、お稚児さん).
The audience cheered when the child cut a shimenawa sacred straw rope stretched across the street, a highlight of the parade.
重さ10トン、高さ20メートル以上の山鉾が交差点で方向転換する辻回しは迫力満点。間近で見れる1席40万円のプレミアムシートも。
At major intersections, the floats made a dynamic 90-degree turn to change directions on strips of bamboo spread under the wheels.
Tourism officials are offering premium seats for 400,000 yen each that provide an up-close view（間近で見れる） of the traditional Gion Festival’s massive float parade（山鉾巡行） on July 17.
Kyoto hopes to attract well-heeled（富裕な、金持ちの） visitors, mainly from overseas（主に海外からの富裕層）, in a first-of-its-kind （その種初の）attempt.
各地で花火大会The annual grand fireworks festivalも通常開催。ですが、警備問題などで有料化の傾向です。
Many fireworks events across Japan are starting to charge fees due to the rising cost of holding the celebrations.
びわこ花火大会では、混雑やごみ問題に加えて、有料観覧席paid spectator seats横のフェンスの設置に地元住民が反対決議を提出しました。
Local residents have submitted a resolution to the organizing committee opposing the event.
They have been urging for measures against congestion and littering almost every year, but their dissatisfaction peaked after there were no improvements, and on top of that, the fences made it difficult to view the fireworks.
※congestion 密集、（交通の）混雑
※littering 〔ごみの〕ポイ捨て、投げ捨て
甲子園では、連覇を狙う仙台育英を下して慶応が107年ぶりに優勝。髪型自由の学校が8強に3校入り、脱丸刈りも話題になりました。
タイトルNew look Keio high school ends national championship drought（日照り、長期の不足）
A buzz cut has been the traditional hairstyle for high school baseball players in Japan, but that custom appears to be getting trimmed away as more students opt for longer locks.
※buzz-cut〈米〉〔頭髪の全体を非常に短く刈り込んだヘアースタイル
【語源】buzz（電動バリカンのブーンという動作音）+ cut
※trim away (不要な部分を）切り取る
※opt for ～を選ぶ、～に決める
※lock 髪のふさ
丸刈りは他に、closely cropped hair 短く刈り込んだ髪型 crew cutスポーツ刈り shaved head剃った頭
