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Tagata Jinja has a twin festival at Ooagata Jinja around the same time.

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michael@michaelpam.com

inuyama.Spring Festival

inuyama.Sakura

The Inuyama festival was an absolute highlight. Go..don't think about it..go!!

After two weeks of Sakura, Inuyama still struck us by how beautiful it was. The streets and river were lined with blossom and it was the first thing that we saw . Parking was easy in a large sports ground just off the main road.

As usual we had no idea where the festival was going to be, or what to do. I expected the floats to be draped in lanterns and just to stand around and watch them. This was SOOOO much more.

Inuyama-jo along the river

Driving through the Sakura

Festival.time

Stalls and the usual bustle of a festival

The entrance to the castle, the ground is covered in Blossom.

A stall

Through the crowd

Wandering by

Main.Parade

We wandered around the streets and asked a policeman what was going to happen.There were going to be two parades. One near the temple and one in the middle of town, we picked the one in the middle of town.

Following his advise and the others waiting around we stood around an intersection and ended up with the best seat in the house. The crowd pushed against us, but we ended up centimeters from the action.

The most impressive event is when the huge multi story floats are turned around. Our spot was on the main road facing from where the floats were going to come from. This meant that the teams to turn the floats stood right in front of us when they went to work. It was just well ...impressive.

The crowds were moved away, we had 15 odd police as well as others managing the corner. Roadblocks went up and people pushed for positions. We were lucky. No idea what was going to happen, suddenly in the distance we saw these buildings moving toward us. Huge floats with musicians inside draped in lanterns (with candles) the fire hazards lurched closer and closer.

As it got closer the crowd controllers moved everyone one and the shoving and yelling started. There was a real sense of anticipation

On it came

And they nearly misjudged it. Right on top of us. Pam could have touched it. Absolutely stunning it shimmered as the team around it yelled and psyched themselves up, ready to turn the massive weight of the float.

A couple of times through the evening the shaking of the floats caused a few fires and did the crowd know it. The floats would easily catch fire. Each with 300+ candles on them. But teams inside sat ready and when the fires started they rushed to put them out, or to throw the burning lanterns off the float. It truly was a risky enterprise for those involved. It was not put on at all.

Getting ready to move the float

Ready to move the float. Pam in shot with the video. She could have tapped the guys on the shoulder and wished them luck

And heave it they did. The video does not do it justice, but what a feeling and there were six in all. This was only the first.

The second float ready to go.

Still up. Remember the float is 2-3 stories high and a fire hazard

As soon as the float moved on, the crowd surged as people were again let into the intersection. Absolute chaos.

Floats heading toward us

Floats again

The third float being moved

Kids inside a float

Pouring Sake over the lifting team. And a couple of swigs...all for luck

Lifting manager doing his thing

The strain of the carry

This shot gives a good sense of how it went. This is the crew at the back of a float pulling down. You can see the size of the float and see all the rocking, shaking lanterns.

Under the front of a float

Rolling off, ready for another....

But it was just too crowded and intense. After three floats we escaped the crowd and headed back to the car. Again we had great timing because by then the other procession had finished and we bumped into the other floats back at the castle.

Floats outside Inuyama Castle.

In the shape of a ship