Karatsu Kunchi Festival

Karatsu Kunchi is a traditional event to pray for a good harvest and give thanks to the gods. The name of the festival, "kunchi," is a Kyushu dialect corruption of "kunichi," and many areas in northern Kyushu call autumn festivals "kunchi." The highlight of Karatsu Kunchi is the parade of 14 gorgeous floats through the town. Floats are a traditional craft that dates back to the Edo period, and are made over several years using woodwork, clay, Japanese paper, lacquer, and other materials. Each float weighs 2 to 4 tons and is pulled by 200 to 400 people. On the first day of the festival, the first float, the "red lion," departs from Karatsu Shrine, and the floats from each town join in the parade. The next day, the floats parade through the town again, and in the evening they return to the float exhibition hall next to Karatsu Shrine. Source of information and images: Official event website (see the information section at the bottom of the page for the website URL)