Subj : Today Is .. April 14th - Takayama Matsuri
To   : All
From : Mike Dippel
Date : Mon Apr 14 2025 00:22:32

Held twice a year in Japan, in the spring and the autumn, the Takayama Festival is 
famous for its elaborately decorated yatai, festival floats. 

These were first used at Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, and later appeared in other parts of the 
country. 

Twelve of these floats appear at the April festival, held at Takayama's Hi˙ Shrine, and 11 
participate in the October festival at the Sakuragaoka-hachimangu Shrine. 

They are so highly decorated˙with beautiful fabrics, lacquered wood, and patterned 
metals˙that they are often referred to as "Yomeimon in motion," a reference to the 
famous gate at the Toshogu Shrine in Nikko. 

Some yatai feature performances of kabuki, puppet plays, often performed by cleverly 
designed mechanical marionettes.

A highlight of the festival is the parade of metal gongs known as tokeigaku, which 
produce a unique kind of folk music. 

There is also a Shishi-mai, or Lion Dance, originally used by Japanese farmers to ward 
off wild boars and other animals that threatened their crops.

Full story:
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Takayama+Matsuri

Mike Dippel
 
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