See the Spinning Floats of Chita-City!

Chita-City annually celebrates the "Okada Spring Festival," featuring three gorgeous floats in a procession that meanders by several parts of the town. Yet another example of the ancient Japanese ceremonies, this event has its roots about 400 years ago, when the current village of Okada was divided in Oku, Naka and Sato villages - hence the three floats used in the event. Up until the middle of the Meiji era the festival was held sometime in mid-August, but probably because of the intense summer heat, it became celebrated in the spring.

This festival's major attractions are the "Karakuri" dolls and their realistic movements, the unusual ribbon decorations, and the "Nejimawashi" acrobatic spinning of the floats upon arrival at the shrines; an impressive display of manly force, with the nice visual effect of the rustling decorations.