An autumn festival featuring decorative floats has opened in Takayama City in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan.
The Takayama Festival, held every spring and autumn, is one of the “Yama, Hoko, Yatai, float festivals in Japan” registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The display of floats in front of a Shinto shrine in the city center was delayed for about three hours on Wednesday due to rain.
When the skies cleared, 11 floats adorned with elaborate carvings and colorful banners appeared. Spectators took photos of them.
Later, visitors enjoyed a performance by “karakuri” clockwork dolls.
Two child dolls did a somersault atop a float and landed on the shoulders of a doll of Hotei, the god of fortune. One of the dolls fell by accident, but the spectators loved it.
A woman in her 70s from Kanagawa Prefecture said that the dolls were amazing, and seemed to have facial expressions.
A man from Italy said Japanese tradition is special and very beautiful.
About 200,000 people are expected to visit the two-day festival.