In cities and towns throughout Japan, float festivals are held annually to pray to the gods for peace and protection from natural disasters. The Yama, Hoko and Yatai float festivals, considered the ...

A traditional festival featuring decorative floats has opened in the central Japanese prefecture of Gifu. The Furukawa Festival in Hida City is one of the "Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals in ...

Core Kyoto zooms in on the Hoka Hoko, one of the festival's 34 floats Fronting the Hoka Hoko is a gorgeously attired doll, representing the sacred child The back of the Hoka Hoko is adorned with a ...