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Hakata Gion Yamakasa

Fukuoka · Fukuoka · Art & Crafts

Japanese name: 博多祇園山笠

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Hakata Gion Yamakasa
Photo: 枝折 / CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗
WHAT TO DOHakata Gion Yamakasa

Two kinds of float: one thirteen metres tall to be looked at, one built to be run with - and their design logic differs entirely.

WHEREFukuoka

Fukuoka · Fukuoka

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Overview

Two kinds of float: one thirteen metres tall to be looked at, one built to be run with - and their design logic differs entirely.

About this place

Hakata Gion Yamakasa (博多祇園山笠) is a Japanese festival celebrated from the 1st until the 15th of July in Hakata, Fukuoka. The festivities are centred on the Kushida Jinja. The festival is famous for the Kakiyama, that weigh around one ton and are carried around the city as an act of float-racing. The festival is believed to be over 770 years old and attracts up to a million spectators each year. It was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan in 1979. The origin of the festival is thought to date from 1241, when to eradicate the plague, the founder of Joten-ji temple, monk Enni had people pray while porting him on a float around the town. The sound of the Yamakasa has also been selected by the Ministry of the Environment as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Source ja.wikipedia.org ↗

Key facts

Founded / opened:1241 Highlights / collection:13-metre-tall festival float display, One-tonne carrying float Genre:Crafts and ceramics, Sculpture

Source ja.wikipedia.org ↗

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Source hakatayamakasa.com ↗

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