Yamakasa - It's coming
Here are some photos from previous Yamakasa (accompanied by some crazy music).
As I understand it, Gion Yamakasa is a traditional Hakata (Fukuoka) festival where guys wear skimpy outfits and carry gigantic floats around the city as fast as they can, to the delight of women and girls alike. You can tell a Yamakasa float-carrier in the days leading up to the race by his nearly modest loincloth and nearly-completely exposed rear end.
July 1: Floats unveiled
July 9: Runners perform purification and blessing rituals
July 10: Afternoon practices in respective districts
July 11: Early morning practices
July 12: Rehearsal race
July 13: Floats are carried to City Hall
July 14: Evening "warm-up" (sounds like a drinking party)
July 15: 5AM race! The main event!
Oisa-oisa!
