KISHIWADA, Osaka — A traditional festival was held in this western Japan city with 34 “danjiri” floats racing through the streets to the energetic chants of “Sorya, sorya!”
Participants pulling a “danjiri” float perform a “yarimawashi” 90-degree turn during the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri festival in the city of Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, on Sept. 13, 2025. (Mainichi/Ririko Maeda)
The floats featured in the Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri festival, from the Kishiwada and Haruki districts, stand about 4 meters tall and each weigh over 4 metric tons.
On Sept. 13, groups of 150 to 250 people wearing matching “happi” coats pulled the floats with ropes as participants standing on the roofs waved fans and danced. The floats made dramatic 90-degree turns at intersections, while running at full speed in a performance called “yarimawashi.” The sound of traditional Japanese flutes, drums and gongs added to the excitement.
From around 1 p.m. on the same day, a parade took place with 22 floats moving one by one through an approximately 250-meter-long shopping street at five-minute intervals. When they reached the front of Nankai Electric Railway Co.’s Kishiwada Station, those pulling the floats celebrated by popping party crackers and releasing balloons and confetti.
Jane Cloninger, 26, from the United States, who moved to the city of Himeji in Hyogo Prefecture in August, saw the festival for the first time. “It was the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen. The sounds of the drums and the shouts resonated in my heart and made me very happy. The community was strong and I think it has continued for a long time. It looked like fun and I would like to participate,” she said with a smile.
Hiroshi Nanri, 37, a company employee from Sakai’s Minami Ward, told the Mainichi Shimbun, “It was intense. You can feel the energy, and it really gets you fired up.”
Yuji Ako, 56, head of those who managed festivals in the Kishiwada district this year, commented, “The number of participants is decreasing due to the declining birth rate. We want to make sure this bold and traditional festival continues into the future.”
The Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, held on Sept. 13 and 14 this year, is said to have started back in 1703, when the head of the Kishiwada domain held a festival to pray for a good harvest.
(Japanese original by Tadakazu Nakamura, Izumisano Resident Bureau)
AloJapan.com