FUKUOKA -- Many visitors flocked to Kushida Shrine in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, on Wednesday to see the unveiling of the only kazariyama float for the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival.
The summer festival was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, so many people came to the shrine to get a taste of the festive mood.
The front of the about 13-meter-high float is decorated with a doll of daimyo Kato Kiyomasa subjugating a tiger, while on the back is a doll of demon-defeating Momotaro, the main character of a Japanese folktale. The decorations were made by Hakata doll artisans in the city with the meaning of driving off plagues or illnesses.
Visitors took photos of the lavish float with their smartphones and other devices.
"It's sad to have only one float," said a 77-year-old homemaker who enjoys seeing the floats every year, "but I'm glad to see kazariyama again this year."
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