Aichi is famed for its many traditional festivals, and in particular for having the most number of traditional festival floats. Many of these floats carry the fascinating Karakuri mechanical dolls, developed and perfected in Aichi.
Enjoy cherry blossom and one of Aichi’s most admired, best loved festivals, the Inuyama Festival, featuring 13 huge, highly decorated floats with performing Karakuri mechanical dolls. The floats are later re-decorated with glowing lanterns and again rolled along the streets of the castle town at night.
The Tokoname area comes alive between March and May with various Dashi (float) Festivals. Over 20 gorgeous, well-preserved, Karakuri mechanical doll-topped floats serve the Tokoname region. You’ll love Ono Town’s special Makiwara Fune, a lantern covered, water borne float!
Enjoy watching three large, lavishly decorated Dashi festival floats make their way down tunnels of cherry blossom along the Gojo Riverside to the accompaniment of festival music and Karakuri doll performances.
Five elaborately carved Dashi festival floats covered with gorgeous tapestries rush across the beach at low tide, and charge into the water in this exciting, over 300-year-old festival.
Experience Tsushima’s 600-year-old Tenno Festival, and enter a breathtaking fantasy world! During the day the river comes alive with gorgeous floats, while at night, the boats are lit by over 365 glowing lanterns, reflected in the calm black waters.
Originating in the late 1600’s to entertain the visiting lord of Owari (Aichi) Tokugawa Mitsutomo, the Owari Yokosuka Festival features five Dashi floats decorated with glowing paper lanterns. They are paraded through the town, and each Dashi’s team competes to rotate their multi-ton float without lowering or bumping them.
